www.womanthismonth.com 103 October 2014 he says by JAMES CLAIRE In our youth we all read the words "happily ever after", but was it? Nobody ever wrote the sequel to the tale of Snow White or Red Riding Hood. As a child I believed what I was told. If the wolf ate the grandmother, then so be it. If seven dwarfs lived with a dame, I never asked who paid the rent. But I’m older, wiser and cynical now. Author JM Barrie stated: “The moment you don’t believe you can fly, you cease to ever be able to do it.” That’s true; I know I can’t fly anymore. But flying is not the only thing I no longer believe in. Vitamin C Tablets and Flu Shots I have spent a small fortune on orangeflavoured Vitamin C tablets, to help me prevent the cold and flu. They and the gallons of freshly squeezed orange juice I imbibed in never stopped me from contracting either. Flu shots taken in pain have only given me the exact thing they were supposed to prevent. I once read that Vitamin C was strongest in fresh lemons; it too added to the things I don’t believe in. Innocent until Proven Guilty We have all seen far too many episodes of Law and Order to believe this statement, but the words especially ring untrue now that I am married. Try dodging the bullet if a chocolate bar goes missing from the refrigerator. She forgets she ate it, but I’m the convict until she finally remembers. She believes in the concept of "shoot first; ask questions later." A Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow The fact is that gold or any fortune comes from hard labour. Chests of the stuff can’t be found on idyllic beaches, hidden by ancient pirates. Drinking Water from a Tap As a child we did and thankfully so. In our town they made it a practice to heavily fluoride the water and gave our generation amazing teeth. Today, the thought that others can put things in the water without my knowledge scares me. Pipes below ground were once the modernizing revolution of a new era, today it disgusts me to think about drinking tap water from pipes that can’t be accessed, cleaned or checked. I also like to see my water in brand name containers and not in a four-gallon tub filled from the back of a dirty truck in the middle of the street. Unconditional Love Forget it people; everyone wants something. Voting Systems When Bush won in the Florida re-count in 2000, I gave up. Even if it’s not rigged, is it worth the cost? Candidates spend billions on campaign funding to get elected. Use the billions for real things like infrastructure, medical and educational services. The Weather Forecast If storms could be foretold the planet would be a much safer place; sadly Mother Nature is a woman of unpredictable tolerance. She is not letting the weatherman know her secrets for a long time. “Trust Me” This is a warning signal that someone is not trustworthy. A trustworthy person is trustworthy by their actions; they don’t need to tell you so. Imaginary Friends Well, this depends on which medication I’m on, on any given day! I Don’t Believe It!
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