2.20.2012

Water and Chapstick

I've been thinking about the way we* drink water and put on chapstick.

Warning: I'm going on a rant tangent - a bunny trail, if you will - that will probably be irrelevant to people under a certain age. I will not say what that age is; I'll leave you to determine that for yourself.

We're* all so concerned about being dehydrated and not getting our daily dose of water. How much that is will vary, depending upon who you talk to and what studies you read.

* When I say WE, I am, of course, referring to our collective society of humans and those in charge who've determined that these are issues with which to be concerned

When I was growing up, we played, rode bikes, ran around (literally!), and occasionally, we got thirsty. When that happened, we either turned on the hose and got a drink out in the yard or we went into the house, grabbed a cup, filled it with water from the kitchen sink, and drank it. Then we went back outside to play for a few more hours.

Until I was in high school, marching in a parade at the State Far parade in Pueblo, I never, ever, ever heard of someone having physical problems with dehydration. Now, I'm not saying they didn't exist. But it wasn't so commonplace that everyone carried water with them. In fact, pretty much nobody did that I knew. (Thus my nearly passing out at the end of marching in the parade!)

But today? The business of water for drinking is enormous. We have bottled water, carbonated water, flavored water, vitamin water, electrolyte water, additives for water, containers for water, filters for said containers, and on and on it goes.

We like Mio.

We carry water with us everywhere. Purses, tote bags, backpacks, camera bags - they all have a spot for your water bottle.

As I write this, I'm drinking water from a Thermos intake water bottle, snuggled inside it's groovy water bottle cover/insulator that I picked up at Target yesterday. Oh, and my water is lightly flavored with TruLime. And it came out of a filtered water distribution system located in my freezer door.

Aha! We meet again!

I'm not saying it's a bad thing for people to drink adequate water. I'm just saying that I find it interesting that we used to survive** just fine without carrying water everywhere we went.

And on that note, what about lip balm? Yes, I used chapstick on occasion when growing up. But now? I cannot live without it. Maybe there's actually something IN the chapstick that soothes my lips, but also makes them desperately crave more. Maybe there's a Chapstick Conspiracy going on. I carry one in my pocket at all times (Burt's Bees Repleneshing Lip Balm with pomegranate oil, if you must know). In addition, I have a spare tube in my purse. One by my bed. Another on my desk. A few new tubes in a drawer at the ready. But there have been those rare times when I've had a lip balm emergency. As in, I left the house and there's no chapstick in my pocket. Not only that, but the one in my purse has been taken out and left elsewhere.

At that moment, my uncoated lips begin to shrivel and dry up (it really is dry here in Colorado!). I can no longer focus on anything with such parched lips. They may split open any moment. It's so severe that I will drop all plans and go to the nearest known store which carries Burt's Bees and promptly purchase at least two tubes - if not more for the home stash - before continuing about my day. And the sigh of relief from my lips being freshly balmed? Well, there's just nothing like it.

burts bees

But I really want to know how I got to that place? This was not a phenomenon which has been with me for my entire life. In fact, back in the day, I don't think we had much more than Chapstick, Blistex, and Carmex. And I recall only using them if there were some unusual drying circumstances. I certainly had no stash at home and never carried multiples with me at all times in case of a lip balm emergency.


What about you? Are you old enough to have grown up without depending upon a water bottle and chapstick at your beck and call? Are there other items you've noticed that fall into this category?

Just wondering. Thanks for joining me in my random thoughts.

Now go drink some water and balm your lips. You know you're thirsty and your lips are dry, right?


**Yes, I am aware that there were always people drinking water - football players, cyclists, etc. I'm referring to the general public, living their daily lives in a somewhat normal (whatever THAT is) fashion.


6 comments:

Anonymous said...

No, my lips are not dry...but that's probably because I went out to the kitchen and while there, put some lip balm on while I was there, then came back and read about the DRYYYY LIPS!

Yes, we seemed to survive quite well when I was growing up (in California where it isn't DRY) and even when we moved here, we didn't carry water with us at all times and didn't panic if we didn't have some with us at all times.

P.S. I love your bottle cover!

mom :-)

Beth said...

I started carrying around carmex way early. But water? that's recent to living in CO. It is SO dry here that if I don't drink my 64 oz a day, I will without a doubt have a headache the next day. Dehydration is no joke.

Dianne - Bunny Trails said...

Oh, I agree with you, Beth. It is VERY dry here. And dehydration headaches are awful. But remember, I grew up here. So why do I need water more now?

kayerj said...

yes thankyou, now I am thirsty and need my chapstick.

I grew up without all of that and didn't start taking a bottle of water with me (on long trips) until just a couple of years ago. But some times I don't drink out of it because that causes more frequent stops at my age *hehehe*

Since getting the Bell's Palsey my lips dry out a lot so I laughed at your description of the lip balm stashes--I have them everywhere. And living in Utah with dry weather I have a bottle of lotion in everyroom, one in the purse and one in the car.

I'll give you something else to consider. My son-in-law is a nurse and he won't allow any use of petroleum based products by members of his family because he says the body absorbs them and never expels them so they coat your innards . . .

everything will kill you eventually

Heather said...

I am so addicted to my Blistex (the kind in the little blue pot), that when we left for church the other day and I realized that my usual supply in my purse was missing, I wished we had time to go home and get it. LOL. And I was that person who HATED Chapstick as a kid. I used nothing. What happened??? Makes you wonder about those additives, eh??

Ha! My kids even know where to find all my stashes of "Mommy's Lip Stuff" and will go get it for me randomly to be nice.

I remember laughing hysterically when bottled water came out. Give me a faucet or a host and I was happy. I never remember hearing about dehydration until I ran Cross Country in High School. I am still not much of a water pusher, but it seems as we age we do seem to need a bit more to help us keep that system going smoothly. My hubby definitely suffers if he doesn't drink a ton of water each day, but I can forget to eat and drink all day and be fine. Everyone is different, I suppose.

Fun post.

Blessings,

Heather

The dB family said...

I still don't drink a lot of water, but the chapstick thing for me started very early. I'd be doomed in CO. I always seem to have dry lips and it's not dry in this part of ON. I really should be drinking more water though. It would likely help with my headaches.

Blessings!
Deborah

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