Writers Workshop: 5 Things I am Passionate About…

Most of my readers already know that I am passionate about my family, my friends, country music, chocolate, and shopping–among others!  But here are 5 things that I am passionate about that you may not know:

Food Allergy Awareness

My son has life-threatening food allergies. Our lives revolve around his food allergies, and keeping his safe, every day. It’s hard to understand the extent at which we have to live in order to keep him safe. I’ve been labeled paranoid, an over-reactor, and even “crazy.”  If my son takes one sip of milk, he will go into shock. His throat will close. His oxygen level will significantly lower. His breathing will be compromised. We’ve been told that if he had the slightest ingestion of eggs, he’d likely end up on a respirator. These are not chances that we are willing to take, so we practice strict avoidance.  We had a real hard time getting him approved for a 504 plan at school. Apparently, the school officials simply didn’t feel his situation warranted any special arrangements {and by special, I mean having his epipen available at all times, and not locked up in a cabinet in the nurses office minutes way.} People have misconceptions of food allergies. He isn’t going to get itchy if he drinks milk. He is going to die if he does and treatment is delayed. Period. I wish that the public was better educated about children who suffer from food allergies. I have encountered so many insensitive businesses and individuals that look at me like I have five heads when I correct them on their actions {like when I told the manager at Costco that openly sampling peanut butter and having the aroma circling the store can send a child who has airborne allergies into shock.} But mostly, I wish my son was more accepted. I am already seeing how his food allergies affect him in social situations, and that upsets me. I wish there were more options to servicing children, like mine, so that they don’t get left out {more dining or fast food options, parties that didn’t revolve around food, etc.}  I do my best to educate people without coming across as telling them what to do and seeming neurotic, but that’s a fine line to walk.

Kindness

If I had more time, and more money, I’d do more things for more people.  Instead, I take what I can to do small acts that can to make a difference.  I make it a point to involve my kids in these acts so that they understand the importance of kindness.  We are apart of a Moms group that arranges monthly activities for the kids to do the same, and we help our kids to use their own resources at home as well.  As a family, we try to do small things, like donate a few Easter baskets to the local United Way, or go through our clothes and bring items that no longer fit to Goodwill.  We also encourage our kids to be loving to others, and to share unsolicited compliments to brighten someones day.  Small acts of kindness can go a long way.     

The Truth

The truth shall set you free. There is nothing–nothing–I despise more than exaggerations or lies.  Lies ruin relationships, damage self-esteem, and frighten people into a false sense of security.  Let’s take the political arena {I know, pretty ballsy of me!}, where the truth is almost non-existent these days.  The amount of scare tactics and tugs at emotions & fears that is used to relay “the message” is absurd.  Whats worse is that people, who have not done their research, actually believe the bull$hit spewed at them and they pass it on.  Which, in turns, scares more people into thinking they are not safe.   

Helping the Environment

I’m no tree-hugger, but I do what I can easily do to make a difference.  I don’t buy plastic water bottles, I have replaced all of the light bulbs in my house with energy efficient counterparts, I only shop with reusable bags, you won’t find paper towels in my house, we use cloth napkins regularly, and we are getting solar panels installed this Spring.  There are things I can’t do–like shell out thousands to buy a hybrid minivan, or get off the grid completely.  But even if every family made just one small change, it would help.  Just take a good look at your home and lifestyle.  Do you go to Dunkin Donuts every day?  Consider buying a reusable coffee cup instead of filling the landfills with theirs {and get a discount on your coffee, to boot!}  Do you leave your kitchen appliances plugged in even when you aren’t using them?  If so, just unplug them.  You actually use more energy keeping them plugged in then when they are being used. 

The Sun

I recently watched a very controversial film with DaddyMac called “Zeitgeist.” It was all about conspiracy theories, and while I didn’t agree with all of it, I was fascinated with the first part of the film which was dedicated to religious conspiracies.  I have been questioning my “religion” for some time now, and wondering which church I fit into.  I feel like the pressure is on to choose a church because Buckaroo will need to be enrolled in some sort of religious education program next year.  The film wasn’t negating any religions, or pointing the finger at them.  Instead, it was showing the striking comparisons modern day religions have to the rituals of ancient sun worshop.  This viewpoint gave me even more reason to be passionate about the sun!

This post was submitted to MamaKat’s Writers Workshop.  Visit her site to read other submissions.