Cohousing-L Mailing List: incensed :-)

[Howard Landman (howard]

> A couple of discussion groups using our facilities, with both resident and
> nonresident members, use incense.  I've been doing a slow burn [pun
> intended] about this for at least a year now -- incense is every bit as
> harmful as the tobacco banned by our no-smoking policy, and we have at least
> a half dozen members with respiratory problems (including me).

Amen.  Even worse are the people who think that "smudging" with a big
smoldering wad of sage is somehow "purifying", and think nothing of
imposing this ritual on others.  I've had to skip a couple of ceremonies
that otherwise were probably quite nice simply because I didn't want to
inhale the stuff.  It's maybe tolerable around a campfire where most of
it will blow away quickly, but in a closed room?

I actually like the smell of incense, occasionally, but wouldn't feel
good inflicting it on someone nonconsensually, or using it in a room
that wasn't mine to do with as I please.

Of course, it doesn't have to be combustible - I've occasionally
visited churches where the perfume was thick enough to make me gag.
I really don't get why people think this is supposed to be pleasant
or attractive.  It's like makeup: none is fine, a little bit is OK,
too much is Tammy Faye.  (I could write a song on this topic.  In
fact I did: http://poly.polyamory.org/~howard/Poetry/beyond.html :-)
But at least with makeup one isn't being subjected to chemical
warfare, so I support the right of a person to paint their face
as garish as an oil-on-velvet toreador if that's what they want.
It may be silly but it's not harming anyone else (ignoring
animal-testing issues).

One other thing to consider: we have one resident in her 90's who
needs constant oxygen.  It's rather unsafe to burn ANYTHING near
her, and not just for respiratory reasons.

        Howard A. Landman
        "No thanks, I don't smoke.  Anything.  Yes really."
        River Rock Commons
        Fort Collins, Colorado
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