I guess it's impossible to not be affected by the environment in which you live, to not be influenced (subtly or otherwise) by the opinions, beliefs, and lifestyles of those around you. I have been in Boulder for almost a year and I still dislike Crocs as much as I always have. therefore, I thought I was immune to being changed by this place. however, today I took Abby to the vet and she suggested using acupuncture to treat Abby's lower back/hip pain and I'm considering doing it.

the vet explained the process to me, how the first session lasts about an hour because they (the therapists) sit down with you (the owner) and ask a lot of questions to "get to know who Abby is as a person. questions like 'what is her favorite food?' and 'what's her favorite kind of weather?' because in Chinese medicine, they believe that in order to effectively treat a person, you need to really know and understand that person as an individual."

I did not snicker, smirk, or even inwardly roll my eyes at any of this. in fact, I was down with it. it sounded smart and interesting and valuable to me. dear god, what have I become?