Words from a Reader

The “Writing Life Stories” e-mails I receive are such treasures. As soon as I see there is one in my inbox, I read it immediately. I look forward to them and never know how they will touch me. They can be interesting, informative, humorous, and/or touching.

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Educating Cracker Barrel personnel

More than 5,000 different fragrances are in products that are used on a daily basis. These products include health and beauty aids, laundry aids, household cleaners, paper products, oils and solvents, drugs, plastics, industrial greases, and even foods. Since fragrance formulas are considered trade secrets, manufacturers only have to state fragrance on the label and do not need to identify the chemical makeup.

Today we drove down to Metro Atlanta. In Canton, GA we stopped at a Cracker Barrel restaurant because my husband loves their beef stew and corn muffins.
For those who don't live in the south, this chain restaurant offers a gift shop area where customers browse while waiting for a table. I've bought and received nice gifts from their stores. Checking out the store is one of my favorite parts of stopping at Cracker Barrel.

As soon as I opened the front door, a "fragrance" hit me in the face. Inside I recognized the "Christmasy" smell that had been sprayed inside the store. How sad. The smell of the good food would have been preferred by most of the older folk who were dining there today.

As we were seated, I told the hostess, "I wish you'd tell your manager that the spray fragrance used here today is really bad for people like me who have asthma. In fact, many older people have lung problems and these sprays are extremely bad for us."
"She forgot what you said the minute she walked away, " my husband said.
"I know. But I am going to keep talking. I can't change the world, but I'll make a difference where I can."

Thankfully, inside the restaurant no potpourri odor ruined the meal. The food was delicious.

My husband headed for the counter to pay the bill. I spoke to the hostess as I hurried past. "I'd love to spend time here and shop, but I can't take the smell."
The young woman called after me, "I told our manager what you said, and he said he'd speak to our retail manager about it. I've never thought about those sprays bothering anybody. I just thought they smelled good."

And so, my husband was mistaken. She didn't forget what I said, and perhaps I educated three people today about MCS -- the hostess, her boss, and the retail manager. Maybe that isn't much, but if we all speak up instead of just getting upset and leaving, our voices will make a difference.

7 comments:

  1. Yes! I agree - what a wonderful ending to a meal, too.

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  2. Hi Glenda,
    Thanks for stopping by my blog. I make most of my cleaning products and have been quite happy with them. I like your blog as well and will add it to my blog roll.
    Have a beautiful day.
    Anna

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  3. Thank you, Kathryn and Anna.
    Sometimes we all feel like that one little candle in the darkness, but I think of people like Rosa Parks who was one person who made a difference.
    People can't change what they don't know, so it is up to us to make them aware. I plan to use your ideas for home made products, Anna.

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  4. Glenda,
    Thanks for spreading the word about fragrances. I'm sensitive to a lot of these odors, too.

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  5. Glenda, thank you for speaking out. Every voice does make a difference. People should be careful how much fragrance they wear. We ran into a friend the other day who must have taken a bath in her fragrance. She gave us a hug and we could smell her perfume the remainder of the day. I too really like your blog and enjoy dropping by to see what's on your mind. Keep up the good work.
    Sam Hoffer

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  6. Glenda, I love eating at the Cracker Barrels and browsing their gift shops when I go to GA to visit my daughter. I loved reading about how you spoke up and it educated at least a few people that day...BRAVO!!!!! I, too, use every opportunity I can to tell people about the toxic
    affects of perfumes...even made myself a big button to wear on my jacket that says: "Thankyou for being fragrance free!" I figure it is a conversation starter, since people like to see what is written on other people's buttons! It gives me an opening to mention MCS and how anyone at anytime can begin to have it...maybe not know what it is at first, but may appreciate knowing about it and maybe, just maybe they will change their habits, too. Sooner or later, the whole world will know what MCS is....we can't afford to stay silent about it anymore. It is the "new" second hand smoke!!! Thanks for a good blog and God bless you!

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