The Turtle & the Big Bean
Sunday I rescued a 4-inch long turtle from imminent death on a Connecticut road. It was my first time. Turtle was on the yellow line of a curvy road, and you know people often do not stay in their lanes on curvy roads. Kat who was driving pulled over and I hopped out. Two cars whizzed by before I could get to the middle of the road; one went right over, the wheels fortunately equidistant from her. Still safe. I picked her up and held her between my right thumb and middle finger. She pulled her head inside. I don’t blame her. I’d have been scared immobile too if I’d just barely escaped death. I walked across the street, back behind a house, through some foliage, down a hill, and set Turtle down on a rock half in a creek. Hopefully she keeps herself headed in a right direction.
This morning I was listening to the radio on my way to work. Jim Gearheart of 101.5 usually talks about topics that interest me and, though I don’t always agree with him, he usually offers an opinion I’m interested in hearing and offers details to support. Apparently there is a new stipulation—law?—going into effect (in New Jersey? in America? I missed part of the discussion) that bans junk food from schools. Especially after seeing Supersize Me I think this is not a bad idea, though I would like to hear the plan in full. Junk food in school is only part of the problem certainly, but many kids don’t know how to eat healthily. This is in part because the parents don’t eat healthily and they either don’t know how to either or they’re blind hypocrites. Greasy french fries, a slice of pizza, and a Hershey bar may taste good but do not come together as a healthy lunch for the growing folk. And most kids when given the option will select the above over, say, a salad and a side of green beans (particularly those slimy ones offered in schools). When I was in school I was made fun of for eating green beans (I’m still wounded; I dream of gigantic green beans wearing devil horns in cheerleading uniforms. (That isn’t true.))
Anyway, I was disappointed at JG’s automatic cynicism about the issue. He cynically said, paraphrasing, "‘They’ (legislators, I presume) think they’re going to cure obesity by banning junk food in schools, but they’re not going to do it for another three months; it must not be that urgent; meanwhile the kids are going to continue stuffing themselves." Well, maybe, but "they" gotta start somewhere. Does he expect the Junk Food Stormtroopers to come in over night and clear all the junk food out of every school in New Jersey? There’s plenty to be cynical about regarding legislation in New Jersey, from what I gather having lived here for three years, but what’s the point of trying at all if people knock down every effort? When one accuses another of idiocy at every juncture, that one becomes the idiot. I say this as a barely and rarely politically charged person. I was in a Stop & Shop this weekend. Ten out of twelve or so people gathered in front of the meat counter were unhealthily overweight, kids included. It makes me sad to see masses of people becoming larger by day, with little hope for little ones because they follow what they see.
This morning I was listening to the radio on my way to work. Jim Gearheart of 101.5 usually talks about topics that interest me and, though I don’t always agree with him, he usually offers an opinion I’m interested in hearing and offers details to support. Apparently there is a new stipulation—law?—going into effect (in New Jersey? in America? I missed part of the discussion) that bans junk food from schools. Especially after seeing Supersize Me I think this is not a bad idea, though I would like to hear the plan in full. Junk food in school is only part of the problem certainly, but many kids don’t know how to eat healthily. This is in part because the parents don’t eat healthily and they either don’t know how to either or they’re blind hypocrites. Greasy french fries, a slice of pizza, and a Hershey bar may taste good but do not come together as a healthy lunch for the growing folk. And most kids when given the option will select the above over, say, a salad and a side of green beans (particularly those slimy ones offered in schools). When I was in school I was made fun of for eating green beans (I’m still wounded; I dream of gigantic green beans wearing devil horns in cheerleading uniforms. (That isn’t true.))
Anyway, I was disappointed at JG’s automatic cynicism about the issue. He cynically said, paraphrasing, "‘They’ (legislators, I presume) think they’re going to cure obesity by banning junk food in schools, but they’re not going to do it for another three months; it must not be that urgent; meanwhile the kids are going to continue stuffing themselves." Well, maybe, but "they" gotta start somewhere. Does he expect the Junk Food Stormtroopers to come in over night and clear all the junk food out of every school in New Jersey? There’s plenty to be cynical about regarding legislation in New Jersey, from what I gather having lived here for three years, but what’s the point of trying at all if people knock down every effort? When one accuses another of idiocy at every juncture, that one becomes the idiot. I say this as a barely and rarely politically charged person. I was in a Stop & Shop this weekend. Ten out of twelve or so people gathered in front of the meat counter were unhealthily overweight, kids included. It makes me sad to see masses of people becoming larger by day, with little hope for little ones because they follow what they see.
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