Month: July 2011

Getting It Of My Chest: Fast Food Is A Drug Of Choice

My dear Readers,
When I started my blog back in 2008, I promised myself itwould not be just another book blog. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love readingyour reviews; my reading list has grown, and I have made many good friendsbecause of our common love of reading, but I wanted my writing to consist of awide range of subjects.
For the last few months my posts have been sparse mostly dueto life, but also because I feel the pressure to write about my reads, evenwhen my reads have been mediocre. I just didn’t feel I had much to say aboutthe books I have picked up lately. I have had a lot on my mind, most notably whatis going on in politics. I have no interest in starting a political blog, yet Ifeel I am not taking advantage of my blog and what it can offer me as far asgetting things off my mind. A couple of days ago my favorite author, Karen Essex,shared her new blog with her Facebook followers and it occurred to me this iswhat I need to do. I need to start writing the posts I promised myself in 2008I would. Today is the day I start writing about history, science, religion,society and books, just as my header says I do. Today, I start to get things off my chest and hopefully start discussionsin the comment field.   
A couple of days ago McDonalds announced it is changing theHappy Meal. Bowing to parent groups, McDonalds is making the French fry sizesmall and is including fruit in the meal. This may be all well and good, butwhat is making me see red, is the idea that there are parent groups pressuringthe company to change. Wouldn’t it be better if parent groups pressured parentsto stop feeding their kids junk food? If parents don’t like what is in a HappyMeal, it would seem the easy answer would be to not buy them. Parents need totake responsibility over what food their children eat, a company who makestheir money selling by-products, packaged as food, should not have to bow topressure to change.
I had this conversation with a parent just yesterday. Sherolled her eyes and told me I just don’t understand, kids like Happy Meals andit is tough to say no. She also said fast food is a life saver because of ourbusy schedules.
Yes, I do understand, I have a child and when he was youngthere were far more fast food commercials than now. I did not buy into the ideathat fast food was okay to feed to him on a regular basis and I did not buyinto the idea that I had to say yes when he wanted it. If you cannot say no toa six year old who wants something that is not good for him or her, how willyou say no when your sixteen year old wants to do drugs? Seriously, fast foodcan lead to major health and mental problems just like drugs. Stay with me, Iwill explain.
Both fatty foods and drugs affect brain function. I wouldnot go so far as to say fast food damages brain cells and neurons, but it does leadto a good feeling, and this leads to many people equating fatty foods withfeeling better. Far too many people use food to feel better when stressed,depressed, and or want a “reward”. Others turn to drugs for the same reasons.Both sets of people use a substance to deal with life, and both sets end upwith many physical problems.  When weconstantly give our kids fast food we are teaching them food is a safe way tohave a good time. Keep in mind, we are talking about Happy Meals. The name says it all. 
We saw a rise in obesity and health problems as we saw arise in fast food. We all know it is bad for us, yet we continue to eat it andnow parent groups want to make it “better” for us! Would you let your kids dodrugs, which also lead to health problems? Of course not, but for some reasonwe refuse to take responsibility for what our kids eat. Instead we now have lobbyistspressuring companies to take the responsibility off our hands.   
Yes, I do understand the pressure to make our kids happy,and yes I know the pressure of not having a lot of time to cook. I raised mychild on my own as I went to school and held a full time job, yet I managed tomake sure I took responsibility for his well being. This meant I said no tofast food and no to drugs. If you are a parent who thinks Happy Meals are notgood for your children, take responsibility and keep them away from yourchildren. Just say no.

Harry Potter; the end of an era

Friday, the final installment of the Harry Potter movieseries hits American theaters. It is the end of an era for many of us. Forsome, it means the end of a series of 8 movies, for me it is the end of ajourney that started with the first book and one more example that my son isgrown and no longer my reading/movie buddy.
The journey started for us 10 years ago when my son was only9. He was reading above his grade level and I was at a loss as to what I couldoffer him. Our house was full of my nonfiction books and his very young readers’soft backs. I did what any good mother would; I headed for the local independentbook store (remember when every town had one of these?) in the hopes of findinga book or two that would hold his attention as it was becoming clear my son wasbecoming a voracious reader. Alex was coming home with armfuls of schoollibrary books, reading at a pace that matched my own. So, heading towards the northcost in our purple jeep (yep, I used to have a purple jeep) I wracked my brainas to what book I could introduce Alex to. At his age I was reading Nancy Drewstories, would he like the Hardy Boys? Was there a new series for boys? As wedrove he went on and on about the boring library books and lamented the lack ofimaginative books found within its walls. Can you picture a 9 year old decryingthe lack of imagination in children’s books? By the time we got to the bookstore I was convinced nothing would satisfy his need for something new andexciting. We lived on the California coast and our cozy independent book storewas small. I was under no illusions that we would find the perfect book.

The smell of that book store will always stay with me; a mixof new book pulp and sea water. All ocean side buildings, no matter how new, absorbthe light musty smell of salt water and seaweed. It is a comforting smell tothose of us who live or lived, on the coast; it is the smell of home.  Alex ran over to the children’s sectionintent on finding the perfect book. I looked over to the owner with pleading eyes,could she possibly recommend a book for my picky reader?

 
So started our journey with Harry Potter. Theowner of the book store (oh what was her name?) pulled a large book from astack and told us that she was having a hard time keeping these in stock. Itseemed everyone was reading Harry Potterand the Sorcerer’s Stone. I was apprehensive; it seemed an awful large bookfor a 9 year old. Alex sat on the floor and started reading, about two pages inhe looked up with his green eyes wide with excitement and asked if we could buyit. I was not sure if I believed he would finish it, but that look got to me,we purchased it and headed home. One week later he finished it, and our love ofall things Potter had begun. He and I read all the books and watched all themovies and argued over Snape’s role as a bad guy. Alex thought he was bad, Ithought he was good, but that may due to Alan Rickman’s portrayal, rather thanwhat I read in the pages.  During hishigh school years, Alex read the last three books. The movies no longer held a fascinationfor him, but the books always did. Now, the last movie is coming out, and I amreminded that this is the end of an era. I wonder if my grandchildren will lovethe books. I am keeping them, just in case.