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Ruralite Cafe: Published 6/01/00By Lisa Majors-DuffHopefully, we learn from our mistakes |
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We were all put on this earth with the God-given right to make mistakes. It is generally accepted that the mistakes we make are meant to be lessons learned.
Right up front I'll admit that I've made my share of big mistakes, little mistakes and stupid mistakes. I've even made some mistakes that, if someone had not been watching out for me, could have ended badly.
Like that time I let my friends play in my mom's van and it got knocked out of gear and rolled into the street, where dozens of other children were playing a game of tag. I knew, even though I was only about 8 years old, that that was not a smart thing to do. Luckily no one was hurt, except me and my behind when mom found out what happened. There are a couple of differences between that incident and the one that occurred in Bryson City this weekend. One is the age difference between a silly 8-year-old trying to impress her friends; the other is that the realization that what was happening was wrong. Before I get into the details as I understand them, I must make clear that this information came to me second hand, though from a highly reliable source. Also, the telling of this story is not meant to harm anyone, but instead to illustrate an obvious and dangerous mistake, one that hopefully will not end in tragedy and one from which a lesson must be learned. Bryson City celebrated its Heritage Festival this past weekend. The event, as I understand it, is designed much the same as Sylva's Greening Up the Mountains, with crafters and booths and food. The event is even kicked off by a parade, with marches from the VFW, the fire department, area churches and some Civil War re-enactors from the area. Also walking in the parade last Friday evening was "just a guy in regular clothes," as my source, who is also my mom, described him. He approached her and my daughter and said, "You look like you could use some candy." Before my mom knew what was happening, this guy in regular clothes handed my daughter two medicine bottles filled with candy - Red Hots and M&Ms. "For: You," the label reads. "Filled by the Hospital Hill Pharmacy Staff and Dr. Sweet." I contend - as have most of the people I've told about this to make sure I'm not blowing it out of proportion - that giving children candy in medicine bottles was a huge mistake on the part of Hospital Hill Pharmacy. What to them must have seemed like a cute marketing idea, to a 5-year-old is something very different. It sends the message to your average kid that candy comes in medicine bottles. As it turns out, Hospital Hill Pharmacy will be operated by WestCare Health System when it opens June 9. WestCare pharmacist Karla Keese planned the parade participation and said the bottles, all with child-proof lids, were only handed out to adults. Not so in the case of my child. On the one hand this incident has provided parents a golden opportunity to talk with their children, again, about the dangers of drugs, even prescription drugs. Pills are not candy, not even the pretty purple ones grandpa takes for his blood pressure. On the other hand, WestCare officials, who are in the business of making and keeping people healthy, made a mistake, one that should be addressed, maybe in the form of a more positive marketing campaign warning of the dangers of prescription drugs. Hopefully no one will be hurt. And hopefully WestCare will fess up to this mistake and learn from this not-so-sweet lesson. |
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