PREDICTING FUTURE HEALTH CONCERNS

To my loyal readers I say predicting anything is beyond the powers of any blogger, any writer, but that’s the currency we trade in.

Every human being who ever scratched out a message, from the hinky horse in a French cave to Mark Rothko’s last brush stroke in his dark late life palette, all want to predict their future with, “I matter and I can prove it.”

If they can’t be part of the future, at least their work will survive if it’s good enough.

That’s where the judging happens, except now we live in a more non-judging time where judging is considered rude. No one wants to hear, “You suck,” and no one wants to say it for fear of being judgmental and small minded.

Keep that in mind the next time you hear complaints about too much crap on TV, or nothing worth reading, or a rant against super hero movies. Check your circle of friends for those who refuse to get with the non-judgmental program the next time you feel your time getting wasted.

Predicting the health future is most uncertain because of new threats on the horizon. What’s good for you today kills you tomorrow; the small threat grows large.

Asbestos, fiberglass, and Camel straights, along with fat, sugar, and alcohol all want their shot. Too often they shoot cancer.

Health predictions aren’t so mysterious if you watch certain channels. The advertising gives them away. Join a class action suit, buy a stair elevator, get the clapper. To my readers in foreign lands, the last sentence includes American tricks to use against aging.

Eventually, and you can share this with everyone you know, life a creating a balance between good and bad, duty and fun, love and tolerance.

If you’re good at something but it’s bad for you?

Doing the right thing and adding a little extra?

Making room for others and accepting their differences?

I’ll predict the health future for those who do bad things and encourage others, who add the detrimental extra and mistake it for fun, who shut down their hearts and minds to freeze them in place: you’re dying, pal, and you’re dragging others into your death spiral.

Of course, the top notch readers of BoomerPdx know the fallacy here. We’re all dying; it’s just more immediate for some than others and after my visit with sex cancer I’ve got a keener eye for both.

Out here in the Northwest we’ve got a measles outbreak. The main suspects are the anti-vaccination people. Didn’t want their kids shot up with the MMR vaccine and it became a problem for others.

I have to imagine the anti-vaccination crowd also turns away from the HPV16 series of vaccines. If they don’t want baby vaccinated against common diseases, how will they respond to a vaccine to prevent throat cancer transmitted by oral sex?

“By what?” you ask.

Save the fake shock. Now try and figure out how to explain the details to early teen boys and girls. If it’s a struggle for you, then try this tact:

We’re thinking about scheduling you to see the doctor for a series of shots. No, it’s not measles, mumps, and rubella, you got those as a baby. These shots help against things that might pop up later and we want to be sure you’ve got the right protection.

If your kid says, “We heard about HPV16 cancer in health class. Do people really do that stuff?” your work is done.

By the way, good job.