Dressing up
This week I’ve been thinking of the Christmas gatherings that I have been invited to. And this year I think that we are feeling freed up to visit and meet others, without COVID restrictions. I’m feeling more relaxed about going to a large gathering, whether it’s indoors or in stores. I’m hopeful that you, our readers, are feeling the same sense of calm and quiet that comes with winter and the holiday season.
What I have noticed this month is that many people aren’t feeling the necessity to impress others with their new clothes or flashy look. At a recent Volunteer Appreciation Dinner, I didn’t ‘dress up’ and it seemed that most of the people there didn’t either. They were in clean, comfortable clothes and the females wore little or no makeup, hair dyes or jingle bangles.
Now, maybe that picture is related to the work of volunteers, who in their roles as volunteers don’t usually need to dress up. It’s important to be open and friendly, and, if they chose the organization they volunteer with, their heart is in it from the start. It might also be that most of the volunteers at the Appreciation Dinner were past middle age, past the age when they felt the need to present their ‘best side’ to others. I’m not sure. But I felt that it was an improvement to see people who were normal, real and definitely approachable. The organizers knew their volunteers and the speakers prepared a few fun things to entertain us, after a fantastic spread of hot and cold foods.
To take that impression a step farther, I think it’s a healthy change if people cut back on the artificial things we do to make our bodies look more attractive. I’m thinking of the physical harm caused by makeup, hair dye and nail polish that contain known toxins that have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Also, when money gets tight, people can save money by buying fewer cosmetics. It’s a huge business, aimed at women, with all kinds of promises—and no mention of the risks. Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the U.S. and worldwide. More than two people die of skin cancer in the U.S. every hour. (Let that sink in...)
To quote from Wikipedia:
The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food safety, tobacco products, caffeine products, dietary supplements, prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceutical drugs (medications), vaccines, biopharmaceuticals, blood transfusions, medical devices, electromagnetic radiation emitting devices (ERED), cosmetics, animal foods & feed and veterinary products.
Maybe you’ve never read the whole list of things that the FDA is supposed to protect Americans from, but they haven’t tested hundreds of ‘new’ toxins in our homes and in the things we use. So we need to educate ourselves and our children. During COVID, I have learned a lot about toxins and how to avoid them. I can only hope that others are learning, too. At least, it’s a start.
Fiona