The Reason Why I Blog

Last night, I weeded through my e-mail in box. Hurray, I can see the bottom again! One of the messages that I had been postponing reading/viewing was about IBC – inflammatory breast cancer. A little-known and less easily detected (because it isn’t well known) version of BC. While watching the video about it, I had an “ah-ha” moment, which was probably more of a “gasp!” moment. Why? Because earlier while researching about Imus Ranch (from the Green This! Greening Your Cleaning book), I came across a comment from one <<well read>> gentlemen who eloquently stated something like, “I don’t see what the big deal is about all this green stuff, my grandmother’s 90 years old and these so-called chemicals haven’t killed her.” Actually, he was a little upset because the author’s husband and co-founder of the Imus Ranch for children with cancer is the infamous Don Imus who suffered from Foot-in-Mouth disease when he made a rather nasty comment about a women’s college basketball team.

So, what’s my point? Let me start with a little bit of history…We’ve had two industrial chemical revolutions in this country. The first after World War I and the second after World War II. Each never really ended but rather expanded into the next. Each industrial chemical “revolution” resulting in a new wave of consumer miracle products that promised to save time and make life easier by finding uses for chemicals that had been formulated as part of the war effort (we won’t refer to them as WMDs though). These miracle products were likely a little on the expensive side when introduced and so would initially be purchased by the upper to upper-middle classes and probably used in cities more than rural areas. In time, as production increased, prices would drop and the use of these chemical products would become more wide spread.

Now, let’s review this 90-yr old grandma story and compare hers to the 16-yr old girl who succumbed to IBC (the reason for my initial gasp! moment). To do so, we’ll need to make a few assumptions. Which I’ll do below…

Sweet 16 was born in 1991 into Suburban America. She was probably breast-fed before transitioning to formula, her mom used ultra-thin leak-proof disposable diapers, and ultra-soft baby wipes. Then, as she approached age 3, she wore Barbie pull-ups until she was completely potty-trained through the night. She played Pokemon on her Gameboy and DSLite, she read all the Harry Potter stories, she wore low-rider jeans (there weren’t really any other options), she grew up enjoying Happy Meals, Lunchables, neon sports drinks, diet soda and fries. She used Teen Secrets deodorant and 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioners, and the brightly colored make-up for teens that I can’t remember the name of. She washed her hands with antibacterial liquid “soap”, her clothes were washed with scented detergents to make them smell “clean and fresh” and she never worried about static cling. She helped her mom around the house by using scrubbing bubbles, and streak-free glass cleaners. The house smelled freshly of plug-in deodorizers. She watched Barney as a toddler, later had a Facebook page, and sent text messages on her cell phone.

Grandma was born in 1918 just as WWI ended. She lived in rural America with her parents and siblings. She was breast-fed and drank fresh cow’s milk until pasteurized milk became the norm. Her mother used cloth diapers and she was potty trained by age 2. Her family ate home grown fresh vegetables and canned the surplus for the winter months. She learned to sew her own clothes, raise chickens for meat and eggs, and to bake a cake from scratch (no Betty Crocker yet). As a rural family they didn’t yet have the means to take advantage of the miracle chemical products that were produced. During the great depression, when she was in her teens, the family learned to reduce/reuse/recycle – very little was discarded and much was repaired or repurposed. She washed her hair with real soap and used vinegar or eggs to condition it and kept it in it’s natural color. In her 20’s she moved to the city where she would soon become involved in the war effort by taking over the guys’ factory jobs. In the city, fresh vegetables were harder to come by and she ate most of her meals away from home. She started using make-up and new beauty products for the first time but these and cleaning agents were mostly still very expensive. She walked or took the bus to work and cleaned her clothes by hand. In her 30’s, WWII ends, she marries, moves to a post-war suburb and starts a family. The family prospers in the 1950’s they get a car, a TV, and a washing machine. They still use cloth diapers and soap for shampoo and laundry needs. Most of the clothes for the kids are still sewn at home, but other clothing items are store-bought. More miracle chemical products become available and the family is in the financial position to take advantage of them. They buy boxed cake mixes, household pest-control products, and new cleaning agents. While her husband drives to work and the kids walk to school, Grandma stays close to home taking care of household chores, PTA meetings, and local social outings. As the 1960’s approach, Grandma is entering her 40’s – shampoos enter the market along with disposable diapers, various new detergents (laundry and dish liquids), a host of new beauty products, and many new long-shelf-life food products and instant mixes. But with the kids growing up, Grandma is really not as impressed with “easy-this” and “easy-that”, she has the time to bake a cake from scratch – and it tastes better! She’s not shopping for a husband so she isn’t easily convinced that she needs to spend a lot of money on “beauty-aides” – remember she’s a child of the Great Depression! Jump ahead to the 1980’s, Grandma’s in her 60’s, “easy-this” and “easy-that” is more of an attraction. Who wants to spend all that time cleaning? Besides, petrochemical detergents, shampoos, and personal care products have nearly, if not completely, replaced their earlier counterparts. From-scratch meals are saved for special holiday gatherings, and why have a home garden with so much available at the grocery store. So, for the past 30-yrs, Grandma lives pretty much like Sweet 16, above.

Now, in order to compare these two women, we need to also understand exposure risk. A baby’s skin is highly absorbent – much more than that of an adult’s. Yet, for all that exposed surface area, baby’s have a small and sensitive body-system. Baby’s are growing at a tremendous rate with the organs and skeletal structure still developing up through their teen years. What children are exposed to as they grow sets the foundation for their adult body…this is why we make kids take naps and eat their vegetables, right? Let’s compare:

Grandma spent her critical development years living on a family farm up through the Great Depression – she ate home grown vegetables and the only petro-chemical exposure came from a heating elements or equipment engines – no shampoos, no pesticides, no laundry detergents, no food preservatives, and no artificial colors/flavors/scents (mostly petro-chemical by-products).

Sweet 16 spent her crucial development years living in a suburban neighborhood exposed from the womb on to the very things that Grandma was not at that same age. Just re-read the list above, but take out the “no”.

Today, our Country’s children are suffering from the same “adult” diseases that we are experiencing (the “we” being those of us our 60’s and younger). Why does this surprise us? Children assimilate for the good and the bad more quickly than adults. Of course they will respond to various exposures more quickly than adults. When I consider what the Grandma above may have lived through and what our children are now going through, I’m appalled!

That the commenter which started me down this thought path doesn’t understand this is intolerable! We need to spread understanding and share what we learn.

This is why I blog.