Firsts

Did you ever wonder about the people who did things first?

I'm not talking Adam and Eve being the first people on earth...although now that you mention it, I might ponder a bit on that later...

I'm talking about weird foods eaten, or inventions tried, or... hmm. I can be a bit more specific. Try this out:

What about the first guy who invented and tried the neti pot. Do you know what the neti pot is? It is a teapot looking device that you put warm water and a saline solution in and you put it up your nose to supposedly clear the sinuses. You do it twice. Once for each nostril. You actually put the spout up one nose hole, and then lean over a sink to let the liquid go from that nostril and drain through and then out the other nostril. There is a bit of an 'ick' factor involved.

Who thought that would be a brilliant idea?

I have neighbors who swear by the neti pot. "Haven't had to use my inhaler for the past month", "Stops me from getting a worse cold"...etc. etc.

Why do I know about the neti pot?

Because I have had a sinus issue for way too long and figured I might as well try it. If I don't have to go get more antibiotics and this clears it up, it will be worth it.

I can't tell if it is helping. I do know that it is providing fascinating entertainment for any child of mine who happens by when I use it. And they usually want to chat about it while I'm neti-ing, which if you know how it works you have to breathe out your mouth so the saline doesn't switch tracks and go down your throat. Makes it difficult for conversation.

Not that I would want to hold a conversation with people (even a 7 year old) while liquid is coming out my nose and I'm holding a teapot to my nostril. Gross.

I'm not good at completely getting rid of the liquid either. I think I'm good to go and then when I least expect it I will lean over to pick something up and a stream of water will come out my nose.

Are you picturing this?

At least one neighbor has had the 'privilege' of being present for this lovely occurrence. I'm not really planning on them visiting again anytime soon.

So why would someone invent this? Who?

Knowing the Internet, you could probably go to youtube and have a lovely demonstration of the right way to use a neti pot.

Which makes me wonder who in the world would think that filming themselves doing that would be a good idea??

I guess it could be worse. What about the person who first ate tripe? Seriously. I know the whole story about how it is a delicacy in Portugal because during some famine it saved lives by people resorting to eating it. But I could never wrap my head around any food made from a body part that was specifically built to not be digested. Eating stomach doesn't make sense to me.

Or what about the person who was first to run with the bulls in Spain?

[Is it just me, or do you think that large quantities of alcohol were probably involved in some of the world's 'firsts'?]

I can picture a bunch of drunken Spaniards leaning on the gate of a pen that is holding mean looking bulls and having them joke and jostle and double-dog dare each other to try to reach in and touch one. Jostling gets too rough, gate opens, and *ding ding ding* the first running of the bulls takes place. Drunk guys trying to get out of the way of angry beasts of burden. No one dying. So they decide "what the heck? let's do this again next year!"

Brilliant. A tradition is born.

Anyway. There you go. My rambling thoughts brought on by sinus issues and neti pots.