Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Epipen

Antioch, CA

People always ask me if that is a flashlight on my belt. When it is my kid clients I say, "Yes, but it stopped working." However, if it is adults I say, "No it's a shot. I'm allergic to bees, wasps, hornets, beer, wine and morphine." This usually leads to one of two questions:
1. Can I see it? (Sure)
2. If you are a Mormon, how do you know you are allergic to beer and wine? (Same way I know I'm allergic to bees. One day some beer was flying through the air and landed on my lips. And my throat spelled shut.) Sometimes people believe my answer. Some times they figure out that maybe I was tested as a kid and that their question was dumb. Either way it's entertaining.

6 comments:

  1. You know, I had vaguely wondered what an EpiPen looked like. It does sort of look like a flashlight. :)

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  2. HAHAHA. Ah, those good-intentioned but clueless church members. Heaven help me if I ever get like that: so unintentionally judgmental (or naive) that I don't even notice it - and can't turn it off.

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  3. You know Dun, Thanks to BYUI, I know I judge people now. I saw a girl at a church fireside last week and the first thing that popped into my head was "Wow that dress is short. She must be training to be a Ridge girl."
    It's a bad habit and I need to break it, but I think our church sometimes allows us to think it's okay to judge because we are trying not to become like "those people." It's scary that we could think like that, but I know I do. As I'm sure so do the people that get all antsy when I mention I'm allergic to alcohol.

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  4. I agree- but I think that there's judging, and then there's judging.

    For instance- a friend I had going through college. He was absolutely brilliant, and made a very good study buddy. He also happened to be gay, and happened to enjoy going out and getting drunk and partying on the weekends. I think, when I asked him how his weekend was, that I am allowed to make a judgement in sofar as I might listen to his answer and say to myself, "Wow, am I ever glad that I don't get drunk and do stupid things that make my life exceedingly complicated like his!"

    The difference between that judgement and the other kind is that it shouldn't make me treat people any differently- There is absolutely no excuse for the "Oh no! It's a godless drunken homosexual! Run as fast as you can in the other direction!" attitude, for instance. Or any reason, as pointed out, for people to get all antsy when Sean mentions he is allergic to alcohol.

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  5. I knew you were allergic to bees, wasps and hornets, but you failed to mention the beer and wine when I asked you about your fanny pack when we were younger. I feel left out. I didn't even get the CHANCE to be judgemental.

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  6. Sorry Katie. Bear and Wine weren't really things we talked about as youths. It wasn't until my middle school years that it ever was a problem.

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