Friday, April 9, 2010

Addiction: 1908

I watched a young mother the other day sowing seeds of trouble, mortification, exasperation, worn nerves, for herself; pain, rebelliousness, possibly permanent disfigurement, for her child. It filled my soul with wrath. What was she doing? Encouraging a habit; "cute," she called it, but one which she will some day know for what it is—pernicious to the last degree. This is the thumb-sucking habit.
--From Good Housekeeping--

If you ever see an old movie about the dangers of marijuana, don't think that craziness was directed only at drugs. Hysteria has long been a socially acceptable way to deal with "problems" and continues to be so to this day.

3 comments:

Jennifer said...

Lol. Possible permanent disfigurement, oh my! I'm picturing a contingent of bulbous-thumbed adults, ostracized from polite society. And to think people characterize the current mom-judgment hysteria as current.

Trooper York said...

"I'm picturing a contingent of bulbous-thumbed adults, ostracized from polite society"

Have you seen a picture of Cheech and Chong lately?

Jason (the commenter) said...

And to think people characterize the current mom-judgment hysteria as current.

Everyone tends to think their generation invented everything, especially problems.