I saw one of my best friends recently who completely shocked me by telling me she wants to have a homebirth. I was shocked because she’s never showed any signs of interest or belief in any aspect of my lifestyle. She scoffed when I got onto her for getting the HPV vaccine, along with other of my “gentle warnings” about the medical world.
So I asked her what had brought her to that decision. She told me recently she was bored and saw “The Business of Being Born” on her Tivo Instant Playlist. So to kill an hour or two, she watched it. She was so amazed, that halfway through, she went out and stopped her husband while mowing the grass and made him come in and watch it too!
This little scenario is happening more and more among my friends. My years of comments about the dangers in commercially-processed foods were only met with tolerant half-smile from one friend, who randomly called me one day in a panic. She wanted to know how she could avoid nitrates in her lunch meat. Curious, I asked what had caused her to embrace this idea. She’d seen it on Good Morning America, she said.
Now don’t get me wrong, I’m happy some of my friends are coming around. I want them to be healthy and happy of course, which is why I harp on them in the first place. But I guess what I can’t understand is why people have to see things on television in order to believe them.
I’m really a normal, logical person. I don’t feel like I’m weird, paranoid, or outlandish. I’m very reasonable. And the people closest to me really should know that. I don’t do this stuff because it’s a blast (although some of it is!) Why don’t they know that I have real reasons for my concerns? Do they think I just make stuff up? I made not always be right, but I feel like I have an informed opinion that’s worth giving a listen to.
My friend who wants a homebirth said, “I wish I’d seen the video while you were pregnant. Then I might have understood why you made the choice you did.” I’m pretty sure I told her and anyone who would listen why I was choosing a homebirth. They didn’t want to hear about it, or thought I was paranoid and crazy. Maybe I just need to work on my delivery.
I guess it’s frustrating because people I love want to hear it from the tv or a book, or something “credible.” I guess in their eyes I’m not that person. But what I don’t think they realize is that I read, watch and absorb all those credible sources. And that’s how I came to my decision. And I’d LOVE to tell you about what I’ve found out, any time you want to listen.
