Ew, gross!

While shaving my legs in the shower this evening, I got to thinking about the razor, and the fact that I won't be able to bring one with me on the plane to Belize on Friday because I'm only taking a carry on.

And this random thought went straight to, "Oh well, it's only a few days, I won't be THAT hairy, and besides, I'm sure my mom will have one that I could borrow."

And then the mind jumped to "But will that gross her out?"

I don't have a problem with lending out razors, there is no gross factor there for me. But I'm sure it's a no-no for plenty of people. Makes sense too, considering there can be blood and all, and we know all manner of death and disease pass through bodily fluids, of which blood is certainly one.

This got me thinking about my colleague Dana. She's great -- funny, smart, resourceful, curious, honest, etc. but I know not to ask her for a sip of her drink. Really disgusting in her book. And this was way pre-kids, before the truly gross back wash entered the picture. Dana simply doesn't like anyone to sip her drink. I don't think her husband is even an exception. It grosses her out.

My friend Kendra doesn't like hugs, although I don't think she actually finds them gross, more just an invasion of her personal space is my take on it.

I watch people at the store who beeline straight to the antibacterial wipes and scrub down their cart handle like it's the only thing sure to keep them alive.

Me? You can drink out of my glass, or bottle, although I do admit to giving my 3 year old the last sip of my beverage, especially if a clear liquid. The back wash really can be off putting.You can also give me a hug (well, most people can anyway). And I don't think I've ever used those disinfectant wipes on a grocery cart. I'm not a germaphobe, for better or worse.

I probably find less things gross now than I did while growing up, because the gross factor goes way up after having a baby, and well, during too. I mean, take a shit on the birthing table? That IS gross, but whatchagonna do? And from there it just gets more intense, sticky white goo covering your newborn, black tar poops for the first week, stale breast milk on everything for months? Ew, but not so much because, hey, it's your messy human life and you have to own it at some point, right?

Changing diapers really never grossed my out too much. It wasn't my favorite pastime, but really it's one of the easier aspects of parenting. Now puking? Puking can be downright offensive. Food is so much more revolting post-digestion. The smell? Gag-inducing.
So, puke does make my gross list.

Spiders? No. Cockroaches, sometimes. (The little fast ones are much more vile than the slow giant ones.) But you know what vermin do make my gross list? I think you do? Maggots. Maggots are truly loathsome. Please do not EVER serve me casu marzu (Sardinia’s “maggot cheese”). That's just wrong.

So is cleaning out an infected dog's ear. And hair in my food. Blech - and it's especially disgusting if short, dark, and curly. Seeing my dog eat the inside of my infant's cast off dirty diaper makes my gross list too. Yuk!

Do most people find these things disgusting? I would think most people find at least some of these things foul. Turns out that:
Disgust is one of “the six basic human emotions” (along with happiness, sadness, anger, fear and surprise), and that "emotional disgust is the only one, among living creatures, that’s unique to humans, and the only one that has to be learned."

Animals do not get disgusted? Well, hey, feel free to pick your nose in front of Rover.

This New York Times book review of Unraveling the Mysteries of Repulsion by Rachel Herz, quoted above, that I stumbled upon while writing this up to went on to explain that disgust is a means of self protection, a warning signal to us that certain things might be harmful, you know those putrid, bloody, phlegmy things in life.

Kind-of fascinating. (Aren't you glad I shaved my legs?)

What grosses you out?