Do you ever find yourself — at 30, 40, or 50 years of age — still carrying through on that advice? For the longest time into my adulthood I didn’t go outside for fear that I’d “catch my death of cold.” Same with going outside barefoot in the winter. To this day I still want to throw salt over my right shoulder (or is it my left?) after knocking over the salt shaker because Grandma said it would keep evil spirits away. I wonder what Grandma would say about the salty evil spirits I’ve consumed? How about the universal rule that you shouldn’t wear white before Easter or after Labor Day? Or–you’ll go blind if you sit too close to the “television set,” but maybe that had something to do with picture tubes. (Blindness is also attributed to another rite of childhood, but we won’t talk about that one here!) There is no denying that we bring the yarns of youth with us into adulthood. The question is, how much do we allow them to influence our adult lives? Do you follow along because “it’s always been done that way?” Or, do you plow a new field of independent thinking? Here are nine old wives’ tales that have been debunked over the years. You’ve probably heard them all, and may even know they are untrue. But do you still practice them? Truth: The American Red Cross reports that there is no increased risk in cramping if you’ve consumed food prior to swimming. Knowing they’re not true, have you spoken any of these tales to your children or grandchildren? If you haven’t, congratulations! If you have, you might want to think about how you allow your past to influence your presence AND what message you’re sending to your kids. Words are powerful and teaching them to make good decisions based on facts rather than falsehoods is a tremendous gift to developing minds. Food for thought for the next time it rains, or you encounter a toad or the kids want to go swimming. (Photo credit: Art via Shutterstock)
