Sugar, Soap and Contacts: Exploring Objects From My Everyday

"Sugar" and "sugar pie" are common nicknames used by people for someone they love or find sweet. However, if we look at associations to the word "sugar" today, the meaning changes completely. Obesity, diabetes and cavities are just some of the issues related to an increased intake of sugar. The amount of added sugar in most products found in the stores today make it hard for us to sort out which are the healthiest solutions. We think we have a lot of choices when we walk in to a supermarket, but reality is we can only choose from a range of products that has already been selected for us by the manufacturers and main corporations. Often times the choices you can make are related to package size or color and wether it's organic or not, whereas the nutritional value for the product is the same. As schoolwork takes up a lot of my time and energy, I find it hard to also focus on eating healthy and natural (i.e. not as many added ingredients). Had the healthier options been more advertised and prioritized by media, corporations and consumers, we might not have felt as addicted to sugar as most of us feel we are today.

Photo by author. The sweet gold.

      One of the first products I bought after moving in to my new apartment was a white bar of soap. I use it to clean my hands several times a day when I'm home. If I go out I don't have to worry about taking it with me because the place I go to will most likely have one or a selection of soaps and sanitizers that I can choose from and that have all been produced to fulfill my need of cleanliness. I use the word "need" because to be clean is not something I only desire. In the late 19th century when the microbial origin of infectious diseases like typhoid was discovered, people became aware of the importance of personal hygiene and cleanliness (Overy 49). If I decided never to clean my hands again I would probably increase my chances of disease and also of spreading disease to others. However, we could question if our desire for cleanliness has gone too far. Taking showers and using soap too often means you strip away the skin's natural oils and leave it dry and itchy. Cleaning your apartment too often can cause asthma and allergies due to a dramatic decrease in some of the bacteria that are important in our surroundings (Leland). I definitely think moderation is key.

Photo by author. A bar of clean.

   
      My sense of sight is extremely valuable to me. During my last year at elementary school, I realized I couldn't see the text on the chalkboard as well as my friends could. After an eye examination I got my first pair of glasses. Soon thereafter I started wearing contact lenses. The change was mesmerizing, it felt like these beautiful details in the world, that I now could see, had been hidden from me till I got my contacts. It's interesting to think of how an object like the contact lens, foreign to the body, is used to alter a human sense. I like the way they become a part of your eyes and you can't feel a difference, but you can see differently. For me, it is an object of such desire that I would almost call it a need.

Photo by author. Altering sense.

Works Cited:

Leland, John. Yes, There's Such a Thing as Too Clean. Archives. The New York Times, 31 Aug. 2000. Web. 5 Nov. 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2000/08/31/garden/yes-there-s-such-a-thing-as-too-clean.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm>.

Overy, Paul. Light, Air and Openness: Modern Architecture Between the Wars. New York: Thames and Hudson, 2008. Print