Researchers

I tell this story occasionally, but not often. It comes to me when I am around teenagers mostly.

As a literary agent, originally, I was all about self-help. I took on manuscripts to teach how to interpret your dreams, or learn to be more intuitive, and lots of alternative health-both humans and animals. Those manuscripts were thought edgy by New York editors and also kind of beneath them.

I ventured farther out on the edge. I was pushing the edge – that we were all in touch with our higher/Godself, that we all have innate healing with us, that each human being has a “fifth sense” and is much more than amazing that we give ourselves credit for – whatever I was pitching to the big editors it was always hard. Of course, that was until I had some New York Times Bestsellers which happened pretty quickly, thank goodness.

Those same poo-pooing editors gave me funny, piercing looks, “Sandra you don’t really believe this stuff, do you?” And I’d say I sure do.

Word got out on the street and across the country, word that I would listen and help when it was possible.

Extraordinary researchers came to visit me. All asking for help. Most hadn’t written much down because they didn’t have much hope to get the real research out. One was a woman working for the Navy on sonar and it was killing whales and dolphins. Another was a woman saying that the cellular phones were causing tumors behind the ears where the phone was being held to the head. So many – and thank goodness both of these were taken care of – when the public, concerned citizens, find out what’s going on they can cause a stir and make things happen or make them stop.

In the late 80s, or early 90s, not sure exactly, this couple came to the office. They were married, they were researchers in Boston looking at health issues with hormones. Both had mousy brown hair, a little disheveled from the long train ride, and khakis on. They didn’t come across as high-end big-time researchers. They came across as serious about their jobs, their duty and had gone to all the top brass, and had found no satisfaction.  They were distressed and seemed afraid.

We sat and just talked for a minute or two to get to know each other – how was the train ride down, nice weather, etc.

I could tell this, whatever it was, was weighing heavy on their minds.

So out with it, I said, tell me your story.

In a rush, both talking, they said, foods that we eat are filled with hormones and plastics are everywhere are “off gassing” hormones.

How?

In a rush both talking at once-again: Animals are fed female hormones to cause them to grow larger; dairy cows to give more milk, chickens have bigger breasts and so many other ways these hormones are infiltrating our lives, the health of our bodies.

So, what can I do?

They looked at each other and at me and didn’t say anything for a full minute.

Finally, the man took a deep breath and said, “All these hormones are changing the children. As they eat things, like chicken tenders, drink milk, they are ingesting heavy duty female hormones. Men’s sperm count is already down. Some countries are banning them.

Girls will start growing breasts younger and younger if this keeps up. Boys won’t know if they are boys or girls. The girls will get to puberty earlier and earlier. Start their periods too early for their bodies to adjust.  And especially hard for them to deal with emotionally and psychologically.

Their eyes were pleading.

They admitted they were afraid. They’d tried to make a case for this to the powers that be. It seemed to come down to money. Added hormones made more money for the big food factories and manufacturers.

They had spent their lives studying hormones and knew what hormones could do and how confusing it’d be for young children to grow up not knowing “what they were.”

I contacted a friend with 60 Minutes and one at CBS and both agreed to talk with them.  Slowly things began to change.