Meandering

Greetings and salutations! I'd like take a moment to clear up a few things before I blog further.

Thing 1- I am not a writer.
I am, however a person with a whole lot to say. Up till recently, I have possessed very few specific personal goals other than evolving and spending time with my family. My hope is that this blogging will serve as an outlet for further evolution... a place to throw out ideas and see what comes back... a means to help develop concentration and discipline through some sort of imaginary accountability...
stretching my comfort zone, etc.

Thing 2- I can't promise my blog will always be interesting, well written or follow a theme. In fact, I can't promise much of anything except that I'll try to show up. You know what's weird? I don't even really know who I'm talking to, if anyone! But I thought I should clear these things up... just in case.

Thing 3- For reasons I can't get into, I cannot provide a personal profile. And yes, those are in fact, Easter eggs.

That said, the topic for the day is.... HORMONES.

I have been an observer of human behavior for many years. (Working in the food service industry for more years than I'd care to mention.) In that time I've developed many theories about human behavior and it's driving forces. After lo these many years of mulling, researching, and factoring in my own personal experiences, I have come to the conclusion that one of the biggest, (if not THE biggest), causes of human suffering is our pesky hormones. Our hormones are powerful little buggers who are not given their due. Sure, they may be getting more attention now than ever before, but what if they are the root source of many more illnesses, both mental and physical, than they are given credit for? And what if we are only seeing secondary symptoms of malfunctioning endocrine systems and calling them something else? And only treating the secondary symptoms and not the real cause of the illness(es)? I'm pretty sure they can and do effect most every aspect of human behavior and thought, without us ever realizing it much of the time. I do have just a tiny bit of research to share that I dug up off of the Hormone Foundation website. It's just the tip of a very large iceberg, but hopefully it will provide enough information to illicit further investigation. Here we go, an introduction to the endocrine system:

The endocrine system is one of the body’s main systems for communicating, controlling and coordinating the body’s work. It works with the nervous system, reproductive system, kidneys, gut, liver, pancreas and fat to help maintain and control the following:

* body energy levels
* reproduction
* growth and development
* internal balance of body systems, called homeostasis
* responses to surroundings, stress and injury

The endocrine system accomplishes these tasks via a network of glands and organs that produce, store, and secrete certain types of hormones. Hormones are special chemicals that move into body fluid after they are made by one cell or a group of cells. Different types of hormones cause different effects on other cells or tissues of the body.

Yepper, I'm sure the world would be a much safer, healthier and all around more pleasant place if we would give our hormones more credit for being the foundation for "other" diagnosed ailments. I think its time to face the facts and find a safe way to provide checks and balances for these power hungry little scoundrels!

Just to be clear, both genders have their own specific hormonal mysteries to solve ... And while many women may be a bit more predictable month to month about certain effects that we notice, but what about the ones we don't notice? And does knowing make it easier to deal with? hmmm... And what about men? Testosterone... Need I say more? Instead of blaming (ourselves or) each other or calling each other names when we are unreasonable, maybe we can take a moment to remember we are all just living under the influence... of hormones.
For more on hormones, here are a few links to get you started:
http://www.hormone.org/index.cfm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hormone