Where Do Our Thoughts Come From?

I just stubbed my toe, and that's when it occurred to me: the first thought that pops into your head shows who you are!  The first thought that popped into my head was to use arnica to prevent bruising.  That was a very surprising thought, so much so that it distracted me for a moment from my pain (see! arnica works!)  The reason it was a shock is because I have never been a fan of  homeopathic remedies.  I am all for tylenol and ice packs.  And sometimes even an epidural, when the situation calls for it.  But here in California, homeopathic remedies are part of the common culture, and even doctors send their patients to Whole Foods instead of CVS.  When I first moved here, I was resistant to trying any of it.  But over time, more and more mothers have told me they use Rescue Remedy to calm their children (and their own nerves,) or that Arnica will prevent bruising, or that a little colloidal silver in a child's ear will get rid of an ear infection.  I heard it often enough, and eventually, this information made a little home for itself in my own head, and now these ideas are my own.

The place where you live, and the messages you hear over an over, have a significant impact on your thoughts.  It took a few years, but I have become a real Californian, in thoughts and actions.  I have a bottle of Rescue Remedy and a vile of Arnica in my medicine cabinet.  Not to mention that I use controlled, deep breathing to relax when I'm stressed.  And I think this is great, because, first of all my toe already stopped hurting and I only took the Arnica 10 minutes ago, and second of all embracing your city's culture is great.  As long as it is done with common sense. When will I consider myself to have gone completely over the deep end?  When I hear myself saying, "Marijuana isn't any worse than alcohol."  That's when.