- It's pop-pop time around the clock.
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The size of the drug culture in our country is truly amazing. We start popping pills as little kids for vitamins and to treat such things as the common cold. As we get older, we take them for just about every ailment we have, be it for mucous, fungus, rashes, infections, aches and pains, or just to get high. Not sure what your problem is? Pop a pill. This mentality has led to the deaths of many entertainers. Instead of dealing with reality, we take a pill to buzz us up.
A few years ago, I was amazed by the number of pills my father took in the morning. It was easily a handful, and I looked at him like he was some sort of chemistry experiment. Since then, I was always mindful of the number of pills I took for whatever reason, and determined to stay away from them.
Lately though, pills have slowly crept into my life. I take a red pill to dry my sinuses, a blue diet pill, a little brown pill for my osteoarthritis. On the weekends, after working in the yard, it is not uncommon for me to pop some Advil to tackle body-aches. If I come down with a cold, it's pop-pop time. Actually, I think a good Scotch is better medicine.
Whereas I wondered how my father had come to take so many pills, now I find I carry pills of my own wherever I go. And I believe the influx of pills is a disturbing sign of aging. I wouldn't be surprised to learn the average pharmacist can probably guess your age based on the volume and types of pills you take.
Some people carry their pills in zip-locked plastic bags, others use designer purses and murses (I guess they want to make an impression), and others use well organized plastic trays, be it for the days of a single week, or for a whole month. As to the latter, much time is devoted to sorting pills into such trays. It's rather impressive the number of pills they can contain, representing a substantial investment in money. Such pills are used for a regular regiment, but for other ailments, such as a cold, a generous backup of pills is maintained in our home base, be it prescription or over-the-counter.
So prevalent are pills in America, I would wager there is probably enough pills in the average household to fill a gallon milk jug. So, the mindset is clear; Got a problem? Pop a pill. Instead of using natural cures, take a pill as the panacea du jour. Want to feel up? Take a stimulus. Need to calm down? Take a depressant. Why I didn't invest in the pharmaceutical industry years ago is beyond me.
This also explains why we will never find a solution for the opioid problem in this country; pills have become an intrical part of our way of life. Now where is my Fred Flinstone fix for the day?
Keep the Faith!
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Tim Bryce is a writer and the Managing Director of M&JB Investment Company (M&JB) of Palm Harbor, Florida and has over 40 years of experience in the management consulting field. He can be reached at timb001@phmainstreet.com
For Tim's columns, see: timbryce.com
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Copyright © 2018 by Tim Bryce. All rights reserved.
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