Paranoia

This has been kicking around in my draft folder from 2011. I don't think it was done, but what's there is kinda cool and thought I would publish anyway. Maybe someday it will be famous, like an "unfinished symphony" or something... :)


I admit I am, by nature, a slightly paranoid person.

I come by it naturally. I come from a long line of Oh-Now-Let's-Dream-Up-The-Worst-Possible-Thing-That-Can-Happen-In-This-Situation people.

Mysterious bump on your arm? Infected deadly spider bite.

Headache? Brain Tumor. 


Loved one not answering the phone? Dead in a ditch somewhere. 

...You get the idea.

Now, I try very hard not to be paranoid. I read extensively, and I enjoy research. I try to always look at both sides of the situation, or to think up Not-The-Worst-Case-Scenario alternatives to my problem. I am aware of my tendency in this area, and I try very consciously and purposefully to counteract it.

But I tell 'ya, there are days where those voices in my head make too much sense....

I've long been concerned about the issue of food security. That, by extension has created my interest in the safety of our food supply when it comes to GMO's.

There was a time in my life when I had very little concern about what I put in my body. I joked that I was trying to save money on my funeral by eating lots of preservatives now. That all changed eight short years ago, when I was diagnosed with a sulphite allergy. Suddenly, what I put into my body came front and centre.

My diet was reduced to primarily natural foods, whole and unadultered. In recent years, my diet has expanded as my knowledge has increased, but a significant number of foods are still off the menu.

The most dramatic change, however, was that I was forced to read labels. All of them. With Abby's allergies and food sensitivities, that becomes even more imperative.

I've progressed from a person who couldn't care less about what I put into my body to a person who is horrified at 90% of the products on our grocery store shelves. Who worries about the effects of the chemicals in her shampoo and laundry soap. Who refuses to take birth control pills because she's convinced that they are a harmful product on so many levels.

Now, I'm not perfect. I still love donuts, and have passed my love of the tasty, sweet treat to Rachael, who already at the age of two thinks TEN timbits are not enough...