Today I set up at the end of a row of booths displaying all manner of fruits, veggies, flowers and baked goods. It was hot and sunny, so I went to the trouble of putting up a tent. I set up my table covered with literature under the tent. I hung a poster from the tent frame which said in bold and bright letters "FREE MAMMOGRAMS for uninsured women."
I talked with many people. Some glanced at the sign and avoided me. But, one woman came right up to me with the intent of picking a fight. I know this because she did have insurance, did NOT want a mammogram, and had to have seen the sign from the direction in which she approached.
She informed me that there was no reason for women to get mammograms. If we put the right things into our bodies, our bodies will take care of themselves and we won't get cancer. She said that cancer was caused by "negative thinking."
I countered that 1 in 8 women get breast cancer, and it is not prevented by positive thinking.
She repeated the bit about putting the right things into our bodies and added that she knew this for sure because she has a PhD in this. I wondered what she meant by "this," so I asked what the PhD was in. She replied, "Natural Health."
I bit my tongue. Several things came to mind which would have heated up the interchange. I managed to restrain myself from anything other than a shrug. (I try harder to behave myself when I am representing an agency.)
There were a few additional comments back and forth. She said people should "go when their time comes." I said it makes a difference whether that time comes when one is in their 80s or 50s. It was obvious that I wasn't going to convince her of anything, and that she just wanted to argue.
Eventually, she turned to walk away and shot back over her shoulder, "Anyway, I've been a smoker for 40 years, so if I die of cancer, it will be f.....ing lung cancer."
I know why she delivered this as a parting shot. She did not want me to point out the total incongruity of believing that "if you put the right things into your body, it will take care of itself" and then smoking!
Arrrrggghhh! Inexplicable!
But, she is probably angry with herself about this habit, so she is looking for other directions in which to place that anger. So there I stood today: smiling, dispensing information, giving out key chains with the agency's phone number AND conveniently in the line of fire.
