This one is ironic. I was at a gathering of my extended family in Boston this past weekend. It was interesting to meet another branch of the family. We won a door prize as the people who traveled the greatest distance to be there. The prize was Salt Water Taffy and Boston Baked Beans. The irony is that unbeknownst to me Boston Baked Beans are chocolate covered peanuts. Sometimes you just have to chuckle. I'm glad that my wife noticed or I would have brought them home.
This week we were out to dinner. While eating a delicious strawberry parfait I crunched into something that has become foreign to me … a peanut! Ironically, I had just finished saying how much our daughter would enjoy the parfait. I found it interesting to experience first-hand the shock that an allergic person would feel when finding a surprise peanut. My first reaction was one of fear. It was as if I was allergic myself. I felt very strange and I could no longer eat the parfait.
I have not had a peanut in about six months. The taste is now unsettling and for obvious reasons no longer welcome. While I can still enjoy an omelet while traveling on business (despite our daughter's egg allergy), I no longer have a desire to eat peanuts. I was surprised that I had such a strong reaction. It is funny how the mind works.
This spring I started a new series called Villager of the Month. The intent is to recognize people who do special or interesting things to help those with food allergies.
For June 2007 I wanted to recognize the efforts of a group of concerned parents in
Though Bill M210 failed to advance after its second reading, the government is certainly aware of the issue of allergic children in schools and that is largely due to the efforts of PACT and its supporters.
You can learn more about PACT or Bill M210 on the organization's website.
