Boomer Babble - Thoughts at Large
Germs
By John Chicoine
• If you haven't noticed, let me draw your attention to the fact that germs are everywhere.  Obviously they are more numerous than when I was growing up.  On television every third commercial is about germs.  Germs on your kitchen counter which has more germs than your toilet bowl.  Germs on the floor, on your hands, on the kids, in your mouth.  Germs are a multitrillion dollar industry in America.
• Growing up on the farm, germs didn't seem to be a priority back in the Stone Age.  I can still feel and smell Grandma Rose's wash cloth as she scrubbed and rubbed my face and behind my ears.  Why was it necessary to wash behind my ears for me to eat lunch?  I never did figure that one out.
• If lunch was brought out to the field, you just ate the lunch.  You might have wiped some grease off your hands but if you were hungry enough, grease and baloney sandwiches went well together.  I haven't been in any of the new, fancy farm equipment but I suppose they have sinks and hand sanitizers so one can freshen up for lunch.
• Baling hay, on a really hot summer day, in a hot barn, if a person was thirsty drank out of a water jug which usually was a gallon, glass, old cider vinegar jug.  Everyone drank out of the same jug.  If you were thirsty enough, you didn't mind the tobacco chewing old geezer that had just taken a drink before you.  There might have been some germs there.  Today of course, everyone has their own water bottle with mountain spring organic water from France.
• Today, there is no five second rule.  You know the rule where a piece of food or cup or whatever lands on the floor and if it's over 5 seconds, it can't be eaten and the dish has to be cleaned.  If something hits the floor now, no matter if a nanosecond passes, whatever hits the floor is automatically toxic.  I unfortunately follow a 24 hour rule.  If it isn't moldy, fuzzy and is still somewhat soft, it can be eaten.  Well, ok, but I'm still alive.
• The country has gotten germ phobia.  Germs don't have a chance now.  Of course it's ironic that everyone is terrified about germs but yet the new health kick is to add germs to your digestive system by taking a probiotic, a little germ capsule bomb.
• I'm old school I guess, wipe it off, drink it, brush it off and eat it.  If it isn't green, fuzzy and doesn't smell, it probably is ok.  I probably have happy germs. I am trying to improve.  I now have a bottle of hand sanitizer in my tackle box.  Baby steps, baby steps.   
• Boomer Babble - "Thoughts at Large" are written by the Boomer Babble Guys, Charles Doug and John with occasional help from friends.  The Boomer Babble radio show is broadcast on WNAX 570 Sunday evenings at 5:00.  Visit us at BoomerBabble.com.