Clouds and Chewing Gum

It is February. A dull winter month in most parts of the country. A couple of years ago we had our worst winter weather in February. Icy, snowy stuff that made driving difficult, especially for Tennessee drivers. (!) This month has turn out rather mild so far. Today is full of puffy white clouds, blowing gently across the sky. I took a picture on my lunch break and managed to make it look like I was floating in the clouds.

Puffy clouds like the ones out there today are my favorite. You can find shapes of things in them like rabbits and castles. You can lay in the grass and look up and feel like you are flying away. I felt a strong sense of peace as I was looking at the clouds today.

On another note, I have decided to quit chewing gum. This is not going to be an easy task. I really really really like chewing gum. Especially after drinking coffee and eating lunch. There’s just something nice about getting “a good clean feeling” after various flavors have collided in my mouth.

One thing I am striving toward is to reduce the amount of chemicals I am exposed to. Obviously there are somethings that are unavoidable, such as fertilizers sprayed outdoors or scented air fresheners in public places. But the ones that I can avoid are in cleaning supplies, shampoos, and ingredients in food (and many other various things!). I was recently chewing my favorite gum and discovered the ingredient list.

SORBITOL, GUM BASE, GLYCEROL, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, LESS THAN 2% OF: MANNITOL, XYLITOL, SOY LECITHIN, ASPARTAME, ACESULFAME K, SUCRALOSE, BHT (TO MAINTAIN FRESHNESS), COLORS (RED 40, RED 40 LAKE, YELLOW 6).

Yikes. I’m not a scientist. Or a nutritionist. Or a doctor. But this list does not sound like things I should put in my body. (even if I’m not going to swallow it) I already avoid things like these in my food whenever possible. Why would chewing on them be any different?? I went ahead and finished the pack of gum that I already had bought. I may steal a piece from a friend or co-worker every now and then, but I think my life will go on just fine without a magical little stick of flavor bouncing around my mouth.

Maybe next time I crave a piece of gum I can reflect on the peaceful, fluffy clouds and remember there is more to life than chewing gum.