On June 5, 2013, I wrote this post. It went viral and actually got millions of hits and was an absolute nightmare experience. Because, as you read it, you can imagine how people responded. I suspect today, where health as a religion has only increased, the responses would be even stronger. Interestingly, it was farmers and ag advocates that happily shared the post and made it viral at the time.
I would likely write it differently, and in the years after it changed my mind about some things. But today, I suspect I've nearly come full circle in frustration over all of the food and dietary special requirements and obsession with perfect bodily health.
I sat down at the table with friends, enjoying our get-together at the diner. The waitress took my order for a Diet Coke. She left. A friend spoke up.
“They say that Diet Coke increases your chance of getting diabetes by a factor of seven.”
“I heard people were getting seizures from the aspartame in it.”
“Today the news said a lady died after drinking 10 liters of Coke.”
“That’s nice. Enjoy your glass of city water filled with chemicals like fluoride,” I replied.
Are you kidding me?