It’s amazing how much you learn about something when it suddenly is vying for a large amount of your attention. Raising kids, taking care of a dog, trying to distinguish between food poisoning and stomach flu. The first thing I learned was that while it is often called the “stomach flu”, it is viral gastroenteritis, not influenza, and often occurs through the “fecal-oral route” when infected workers handle food without washing their hands.

During my travels I have taken more than a few questionable routes and ended up in undesirable locations, but none as undesirable as this fecal-oral route. This route and food poisoning share many undesirable commonalities, and part of me thinks, “Does it really matter what label you slap on it?” But humans are a curious lot.

There are a couple of play-by-play scenarios that are often painful for us to be subjected to by the inflicted, sickness and air travel. We’ve all been sick and we’ve all been inconvenienced by an airline, but for some reason it seems so much more story worthy when it’s our sickness and our three hours sitting on the runway with no air-conditioning and flat seltzer water. Misery loves company as it strolls down the fecal-oral route…don’t stray to far though, urgent and rude visitors frequent this route.

After a bit of research and reflection on the events proceeding the turn for the worse in my day and the speed in which that turn occurred, I’m fairly certain my woes can be placed in the food poisoning box. I won’t name the restaurant, as it is a good restaurant run by good people. I don’t blame them, I blame myself for making a poor menu choice. A rib-eye or a bacon cheeseburger has never kicked me to the curb like that “healthy” salad did.

Apparently, Dr. Google lists leafy greens and fresh fruits as “common culprits” for food poisoning. Good to know. It was a good salad…it was. The human body carries a grudge against such insults. Unless of course that insult was perpetrated by an overindulgence in our drink of choice. We’re much more forgiving of libations than lettuce. So it goes.

While I was convalescing, I had the opportunity to watch the Eric Dane episode of “Famous Last Words” on Netflix. Eric was an actor who recently passed away at the age of 53 from ALS. The show is a one-on-one interview format and they don’t air the shows until after the death of the interviewee. Brad Falchuk, the host, does a nice job of asking poignant questions that allow the guest to explore thoughts and feelings they may have never explored before.

At the end of the episode, the host leaves Eric alone in the studio to face a camera and say anything he would like to say. Eric took the opportunity to address his two daughters, Billie, age 15, and Georgia, age 14. This is the gist of what he had to say, “Live now; fall in love, not necessarily with someone but something; choose your friends wisely; and fight, with every ounce of your being and with dignity, when faced with challenges.”

Be well my friends.