A short time ago, I’d never heard of Hupy and Abraham. Now the name of the personal injury law firm headquartered in Milwaukee rolls off my tongue. As a rule, I use the commercial breaks in a TV program to go to the bathroom, get a drink or do household tasks, but their ads caught my attention. Their spokesperson, William Shatner, was one of my favorites in the old show, “Boston Legal.”
Things heard over and over become ingrained in our brains whether the information is factual or not. The cigarette commercials that bombarded us in the 50s and 60s are a good example. As young people, we absorbed “LS/MFT (Lucky Strike Means Fine Tobacco)” and “I’d walk a mile for a Camel.” We were convinced smoking was the “in thing” done by all of the sophisticated people. Beginning in 1971, Congress banned the ads from TV because cigarettes cause lung cancer. My husband, the son of smoking parents, was one of those who suffered through nicotine withdrawal to quit smoking and be healthier. My strict folks didn’t smoke and wouldn’t allow me to either.
Think of the hours you spent with your baby repeating, “Mama,” and the joy when the tot said it for the first time. Later, when you were feeling harassed, did you ever wish the child had never learned the word?
I don’t follow pro sports but, through osmosis, I absorb information from my husband and our daughter, who are big fans. I’ve also learned “seeing is believing” isn’t always true. When game officials’ decisions are questioned, showing players’ moves from different camera angles can change rulings.
Are you critical of all you see and hear in social media, on TV, in print, on the radio and talking with friends?
I think I was “born skeptical.” and it has served me very well over the years – particularly with doctors. But also, experience has taught me a lot about medical matters so when a doctor talks, I “sift and winnow” what they say. For example, if a person is constipated, often a pill is prescribed. I find prune juice or prunes work just as well, and they are natural. My body has reactions/allergic reactions to many medicines so this change is very helpful to me.
Once when Bill was alive, he had a bad nosebleed, and we had to go to the emergency room in the middle of the night. An inexperienced emergency room doctor tried for awhile to stop the bleeding with no success so about 5 AM, said, “We are going to send Bill home.” I very strongly and loudly said, “Oh, no you are not sending him home.” “What time do the Eye, Ear, Nose & Throat doctors come into the hospital clinic?” They said 8 AM. I said, “We will wait for them,” & we did. Those doctors took care of the problem. It pays to be thoughtful, skeptical and firm, at times.