Now I Just Smell Drunk

Sterile dirt. Why would I feel clean just because apparently now the dirt on my hand is sterile? I don't buy it. And when I tell people that, they just look confused. I am not sure how.

From as far back as I can remember - and though I can barely remember what I did yesterday, my youth is quite vivid - I have been taught one way to be clean. Wash. After romping around in the garden, climbing trees and sabotaging anteaters' traps, the first thing we were ordered to do was wash up. After using the bathroom, the first question would always be, "Did you wash your hands?" And, thus, I have been completely brainwashed. When feeling dirty, wash your hands and washing includes water.

Now, however, a lot of those around me are all about the anti-bacterial gels and at times I am sucked into this realm. When my mom came to visit me last year, I was concerned about the germs that she might pick up, having to hold onto stair rails because of her bad knees. So I handed her a bottle of anti bacterial gel to carry in her bag. She looked at me like I had lost my mind and went to wash her hands. And I don't even know why I suggested it because my hands never feel clean after I have used the gel. And people tell me that the germs are dead. Maybe, but the dirt is still on my hands.

And so, I won't even go on about how there are fears that all these anti-bacterial products will make us a little like the boy in the bubble; unable to fight against any bacterial diseases. I won't talk about how it seems to be a huge selling point - even dishwashing soap contains anti-bacterial hand wash. All me Old School, but all I shall say to you is that, even after using the anti-bacterial gel, when I wash my hands, do you know what comes off as I rinse? DIRT. And you know how my hands feel after I have washed off the dirt with water? CLEAN.