The Stupid Things We Do

First, you need to understand that I don't use the "s" word lightly. At our house the kids weren't allowed to use it and we didn't use it. Sure, there are some stupid things but we try not to ever call people stupid. It's just not very nice.

Second, I am sure that you already thought, "What stupid thing did John do?". Oh no my friend, not me - WE. WE as in people, society as a collective. I say this based on a recent field trip.

We went to Mountfitchet Castle.

It is a recreation of a Norman Village from the year 1066. (Those of you who are behind on your Norman history will need to Google the Norman Invasion and catch up.) It is a wooden fortification similar to the one in the movie Braveheart when William Wallace first attacks the bad guys for messing with his woman. Inside the castle walls are numerous "buildings" that house the different things needed to keep the castle going.

While we were there, the rain started falling so we ducked into various buildings to wait it out. I happened to be in the "Kitchen" building. It showed a lovely scene of cooking methods and ingredients used during those times. The description that really got my attention (and thus prompted this post) was the one talking about them baking bread each day to feed the people. To flavor the bread they used dove and pigeon droppings. Yep, droppings. Not dove, not pigeon - those might actually be somewhat tasty (I'll have a 12" dove-loaf meatball...).

Who came up with that idea? Who did the initial taste testing? What were the focus groups thinking? Did it accidentally happen and the cooks not bother to tell anyone and then everybody raved about the new bread flavor so they had to keep making it to meet the demand? Were they mad at someone and said "Hey, put some of this in that guy's bread"? I can't really imagine the process or motivation.

I guess what really bothers me about this is that it makes me wonder: What we are doing now that will be seen as bizarrely strange a thousand years from now??? Sure, we figured out that smoking was actually not good for us as early Doctors said, but what have we missed?

So, look around and see what it is that you are doing that will be laughed at years from now. I guess if nothing else we will provide humor for those people a thousand years from now who will post about those stupid people that lived in the 2000's.

The people from 1066 also rubbed goose fat on themselves in the winter to keep warm but who am I to judge them for that?