Sensitivity to chemicals a real threat to some people
I am chemically sensitive. Going into the world, a world that is permeated with hundreds, thousands of smells, is a matter of risk versus reward. Go to see your doctor because your doctor makes you feel better — risk a migraine, a burning painful nose, or a rough raspy throat, or all three from the fog of perfume that permeates the building.
Boil your dog an egg and smell the egg carton that it came in. Open your shoes from just about anywhere and get a migraine from the cardboard box. Try to have a conversation with a person who is wearing clothes washed in a perfumed detergent, rinsed in fabric softener or dried with dryer sheets and risk a migraine or embarrassment trying to get away.
Over time you search out safe places. The most vital is finding a safe bathroom — they are hard to come by. And a real downer when one that was safe becomes unsafe with the addition of a different detergent, fragrance or cleaning agent. A real treasure is the office that lets you use their private bathroom.
Time of day and year are important also. In the winter, when it’s dark and cold early in the morning, many places remain mostly empty — in Kohala, that is.
Spring brings out the perfume just when it seems like its not needed. Crowds, where one is hemmed in are deadly. Also places where you can’t leave without making a commotion.
If there is one most important reason to boycott genetically modified organisms, it’s the pesticide that these plants carry within them or the resistance to large amounts of pesticide so ever-increasing amounts of Roundup can be sprayed. I grew up with pesticides. My mother was horrified by any kind of bug. There was Seven dust under the paper on every shelf in the house, under the carpets too. In Texas, everyone had the house sprayed for bugs and dosed for termites. The time I sought help from the Environmental Health Center in Dallas, the huge room I sat in to have blood tests done was loaded with the good people of Texas. This was in the mid-90s, I can’t imaging what it’s like now.
If you don’t have chemical sensitivities, be grateful and do everything you can not to get it. Help fight GMOs. Don’t wear perfume where it is offensive to others. (A woman stood beside me, at the farmers market, for a moment before I could get away, it was a moment. She smelled so heavily of perfume that my hair was permeated with it and I had a migraine for two days.)
Plain fresh air smells wonderful. Google chemical sensitivity if you want to read about something that you don’t want to get.
Sandra Gray
Kapaau
Who will look into ethics of board?
In regards to Lanric Hyland’s Viewpoint article about “our” mayor — he just forgot to mention one small thing, the Ethics Board is appointed by the mayor.
Now tell me, who is going to look into the ethics of the Ethics Board?
Tom Madson
Kona