STERILIZED, SANITIZED, and SECURE....JULY 26 2011....

I know the world has changed.  I know that things cannot ever stay the same.  I know all this, but at the same time I wonder.  Are we really better off?  I'll let you decide the answer to this question.

When I was a child - we played outside all day, every day, unless there were extreme weather conditions.  We didn't have TV, X-boxes, Wi's, that sort of stuff.

Our mailing address was a street in town, but we were pretty rural.  Had fields and woods close by (the woods were our jungle), creeks (we called them cricks) running through the woods.  We waded, built dams, chased craw-dads, drank the water (how very very unsanitary),climbed the trees (and fell out of the trees) coming home scraped and scratched.  Out came the Mercurochrome, if we were lucky, the iodine or Merthiolate if we weren't.  It hurt.  We cried.  Then we went back outside and started all over again.

We roller skated - on the sidewalks or paved alleys.  We rode tricycles, bicycles, scooters.  We fell, scraped knees and elbows, went in to be treated, came back out and started all over again. 

After a rain we played in the mud, even ate the mud pies we made.  In winter we built snow forts, threw snowballs at each other, went sled riding, ate the snow, and even made snow ice cream.

No one had ever heard of bottled water, hand sanitizers, anti-biotics, and we all survived.  Not only did we survive, we were able to be kids.

I realize that all kids weren't that lucky.  Kids growing up in the cities did not have all our advantages, but they did have parks where they could swing and see-saw, run and play.  Today they have the parks, but have to have rubber or some soft material on the ground so they don't get "hurt" if they fall, and all the things to play on are so safety-regulated, they really can't have any fun.

But if I were growing up today -- don't wade in a creek, or drink the water, it is not sanitary.  Don't climb a tree, you might fall and hurt yourself.  Don't roller skate unless in a professional roller rink, where you are less likely to fall and scrape you knees and elbows.

And for pity's sake, don't ever touch the mud, let alone play in it, and even eat it.  Look at all the germs.

If you want to ride your bicycle, you have to put on a helmet, elbow pads, knee pads.  By then you have lost all desire to ride your bike.  Same with scooters, but then I don't think they even make scooters anymore, unless they are the electric kind.

And, whatever you do, don't ever ever leave the house without your hand sanitizer, use it every time you touch something, sneeze, cough, or even look at something.  Nasty germs.  Got to kill them right now. 

Now let's talk about our immune systems.  I grew up with none of today's supposedly safety precautions.  I have a great immune system.  Except for the few years when I HAD to take a flu shot or my husband would not get his (and because of his medical problems it was a necessity for him) he didn't get the flu, but I GOT THE FLU EVERY YEAR.  After he passed on, I discontinued the flu shots, and guess what.  I haven't been sick since.  I believe the reason is - that by just being a kid, getting dirty, etc., my immune system had a chance to grow.  I very rarely am sick, and then it is usually just a cold.

Today kids are obese, because they sit and play their games without having to go outside, or even get up.  They are always having some sort of medical problem as their immune systems never have a chance to develop, because of all the precautions and sanitizers and more sanitizers.

I am not a doctor.  I am not an expert on health issues.  But I do know my kids grew up in the country, doing all the things I did, and even some I had never thought of, and with five kids, they all have great immune systems, are healthy, rarely have anything of a major nature hit them.

One of my irises in bloom this spring

So, back to the question.  Are we really better off?  Or is it the medical field is what is better off?

Take care and God Bless.