GA Injury Advocates - April 2021

GA Injury Advocates - April 2021

Auto Injury T R I B U N E

April 2021

Is Honesty Always the Best Policy?

This month begins with a holiday pranksters are quite fond of — April Fools’ Day — and a few weeks later, there’s an antidote of sorts to that day of deceit: National Honesty Day. April 20 was named Honesty Day by author and former press secretary M. Hirsch Goldman, who quite literally wrote the book on honesty, or rather, its opposite.

area, though, comes with more responsibility. We have to think more and reflect on our actions — act, learn, iterate. We can’t just operate on autopilot, which, as I’ve mentioned before, has its appeal because it’s comfortable . It’s not always easy to get outside our comfort zone, and, in the first steps we take toward doing that, we often face a formidable challenge: ourselves.

As Hirsch researched and wrote his book, “The Book of Lies: Fibs, Tales, Schemes, Scams, Fakes, and Frauds That Have Changed the Course of History and Affect Our

When most of us think about honesty, we think about telling the truth to someone else or how telling a lie might impact our relationship. But I’d like to ask you this: How honest are you with yourself? Are you good at seeing yourself truthfully or are you lying to yourself? If you’ve been avoiding facing

Daily Lives,” he got the idea to devote a day to honesty and celebrating truth-telling. Could you tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth for an entire day?

the truth about yourself and your actions, it’s probably fear that has you stuck. We have to get over the fear that stops us from being honest with ourselves.

But of course, lies that, as Hirsch says, “change the course of history” are quite different from the white lies we sometimes tell in our daily lives. Is the Easter Bunny coming to your house this month? Did Santa visit the kids in December? Most people are in agreement that those types of lies are okay, and beneficial even, as they keep the magic alive for our children. The whimsy of holiday characters bringing baskets of chocolate or a sack full of gifts feels especially welcomed right now. But following this line of thought to its logical conclusion makes one wonder about how we draw the lines and set boundaries about with untruths and near-truths are okay and which are not. If honesty were always the best policy, things would be black and white, and Santa and the Easter Bunny would be out. There’s something appealing about living in a world where things could be that clear-cut. It would make our choices easier and narrow our path.

When it comes to other people, living in the gray area also means we have to evaluate if our desire to tell the truth or to keep it from someone comes from having everyone’s best interest in mind or just from our own sense of guilt. Again, this requires some level of self-awareness and self-knowledge, not to mention the ability to see things clearly and truthfully. Whatever values we set for ourselves will reverberate out and have consequences in our lives and relationships. So yes, being honest with ourselves pay dividends, but when it comes to honesty always being the best policy, I think there’s quite a bit more to explore. I’m sure the Easter Bunny would agree.

However, I’d argue that there is tremendous beauty and potential for growth in the grayscale between black and white. Living in the gray

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THE TRUTH ABOUT ESSENTIAL OILS

Every year, a prankster makes headlines on April Fools’ Day for taking their joke too far. In 2001, a DJ in England famously broadcast that he’d spotted a replica of the Titanic floating off the coast. Hundreds of people scrambled to the spot, and their combined weight actually caused a cliff to collapse into the ocean! Luckily no one was hurt, but a Montana man who played a different joke years later wasn’t so lucky. He donned a Sasquatch outfit and leapt from the forest to scare travelers. Unfortunately, he traumatized two teens so much that they lost control of their car and ran him over. If you’re a prankster, you can probably understand what drove the radio DJ and Sasquatch to their doom. It’s easy to go down the April Fools’ rabbit hole and plan a prank that’s too elaborate for adults, let alone your kids. But don’t worry — the internet is full of funny ways to introduce your little ones to the holiday safely. Instead of concocting a potentially harmful prank, try one of these harmless jokes instead, courtesy of Parenting magazine. 3 SAFE APRIL FOOLS’ PRANKS YOUR KIDSWILL LOVE Ditch the Danger and Plan Family-Friendly Fun

ARE THEY REALLY SAFE?

If you’ve ever visited a spa or tried a “natural” perfume, then you’ve probably been exposed to essential oils. These fragrant oils are derived from plants and have become a fad among health nuts, yoga practitioners, and even chefs. Many devotees believe that a few drops of oil added to a diffuser, mixed with food, or rolled onto the wrist can do just about anything, like reduce anxiety and ward

off the common cold. In 2019, the global essential oil market was valued at more than $7 billion, and sales are expected to soar above $14 billion by 2026. But there’s a catch: Some doctors now warn that essential oils are not a panacea — and they’re not as safe as they seem. What do the experts say? According to Rose Ann Gould Soloway, a clinical toxicologist at the National Capital Poison Center, essential oils can be safe and beneficial. However, they have harmful side effects when misused. Many oils can cause rashes and even poison users if they’re swallowed or rubbed directly onto the skin. In addition to this, incorrectly breathing in an essential oil can cause pneumonia. How are essential oils misused? When it comes to essential oils, there are two big mistakes people might make: They either overuse essential oils with their children or they apply them the wrong way. When essential oils are concerned, proper application and amount can make a life-or-death difference. Nutmeg oil, for example, tastes delicious in food but can cause hallucinations and even comas when mishandled, and eucalyptus oil, which can soothe a cough, can also cause seizures if ingested. Another example is sage oil; it has beneficial applications, but even small amounts can make a child very ill. How can you use oils safely? If you use essential oils or oil-based products, it’s vital that you follow the instructions that come with them and keep bottles of pure oil locked away from your kids and pets. When you’re using oils topically, dilute them with a barrier substance like a non-essential oil, lotion, or aloe jelly; and when you’re inhaling them, use a waterless or water-based diffuser. Finally, when in doubt, do your research! The American Botanical Council’s HerbalGram journal, AromaWeb.com, and >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4

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