Christmas Musings

I live in a world in which some people who choose to use words also choose to ignore their meanings and impute others. Much of this is due to commercial interests that wish to sway people's decisions by obscuring reason and inserting their own version of what is real.

I made waffles this morning. The recipe calls for one egg. I am no stranger to the grocery store and am adept at following the list (checking it twice) and executing accurate cost benefit analysis on goods desired. I know that eggs come in two colors. White and brown. My question is about the use of the word "natural". Someone would have me believe that if i choose brown eggs I am getting natural products, but if I choose the white eggs I would be getting something artificial. Having cracked an egg or two, and knowing a little about the reproductive cycle of chickens, and I have discovered that inside of both white and brown eggs I will usually find a yoke and and egg white (uncooked). The only discernible difference is the color of the shell. As far as I know, nothing inside the chicken alters the process of producing the egg or the color of the shell. Interestingly enough, the brown shelled eggs are typically much more expensive--40% more Thursday when I last shopped.

This morning the package holding the brown egg, (Which I did not buy--it was in the refrigerator without my prior knowledge.) made a bold declaration. ALL NATURAL EGGS. The full color paper insert was inserted into a tri-fold clear plastic very unnatural container. I began to speculate about the kind of person that would prefer all natural eggs. I would suspect the profile would include some degree of environmental concerns. Granted, I am sure that the design of the container is for the safety of the enclosed ovum, an important consideration that. My white eggs come in a plain cardboard-highly biodegradable-carton. I was a boy scout and consider myself to be an environmentalist. I try to eat healthy and avoid things when I can that are harmful. I find the disconnect between the "All Natural Eggs" and the poly packaging disturbing.

The other word is "organic". I have friends who buy "organic" food. Am I to believe that the lettuce that I buy in the other section of the produce department is "inorganic"? What I believe they mean is that the process by which the produce was grown was void of certain chemicals and compounds. Nevertheless, the produce is no more organic than any other plant. I am not a fan of the abuse of chemicals in the production of food. I am a fan of the correct use of the common language. Organic means organic.

Lest you think I am ranting rather than musing, I have not compunction to change the way people buy or eat. Just use the words right.