Tadpoles and Other Urban Myths

“Come here! Look at the tadpoles come up for air!”

I had just walked 2.2 miles wearing flip-flops with 99 degrees of direct sunlight beating down upon my frizzy, humidity-tortured hair. I looked where Gloria was pointing in the mossy sludge pool. Tiny creatures were popping up breaking the surface of the water. Every couple of seconds, one would appear and disappear just as quickly.

We had agreed the night before that the five of us (gone to the beach for a girls-only mid-week retreat) would get up early and walk to the coffee shop for coffee. We missed the ‘early’ mark along with the cool morning breeze that may or may not have come with the early post dawn hours. But here we were, in a beautiful beach community. We enjoyed our iced drinks in the air-conditioned coffee shop. After listening to much whining and complaining, I alone volunteered to walk the 2.2 miles back to the house wearing flip-flops with 99 degrees of direct sunlight beating down upon my frizzy, humidity-tortured hair to get the car and come back to pick up the others.

Walking alone for the 2.2 miles back to the house wearing flip-flops with 99 degrees of direct sunlight beating down upon my frizzy, humidity-tortured hair, I had the opportunity to think about comments we hear and accept without question. I propose to you that you consider carefully the following Urban Myths.

Urban Myth #1 It’s about a mile and a half from here.

Beware when someone tells you – “It’s just a little ways from here. Let’s walk.” This doesn’t really bother me. (Remember, I’m a distance walker and walk 5 miles a few times a week.) This phrase is usually spoken by someone who aspires to walk—but seldom does—and assumes that if it only takes 15 minutes to drive the distance, it should only take 20 minutes to walk it. Double beware if they use a number to define the distance. Assume they are guessing and don’t have a clue how far it actually is.

Urban Myth #2 Exercise will make you lose weight.

Several years ago I bought a Richard Simmons “Sweatin’ to the Oldies” video. Night after night, I watched that video while eating my buttered popcorn and drinking my Coke. Didn’t lose a pound. I complained how my time could be better spent watching Magnum PI and Tom Selleck with my popcorn and Coke. I was informed that watching exercise was not the point; it would never work; I had to actually participate and DO what Richard does. I put my popcorn down and danced along. I tore the cartilage behind my kneecap (meniscus tear). The injury required surgery and put a stop to my aerobic endeavors.

With each year, I added a few pounds. I joined a gym. I worked out. Still the pounds accumulated. I hired a personal trainer. Week after week, he pushed. I huffed and puffed. He pushed harder; I sweated more. I felt great and weighed more than ever. “You’re building muscle mass. Muscle weighs more than fat.” My muscle mass was encased in a mass of fat. I quit.

One day it occurred to me that perhaps, just perhaps, there was something to this calorie theory (calories consumed – calories burned = FAT) and that if I kept eating massive amounts of food, I would continue to grow as a person. I decided to eat less – considerably less – and, like magic, the fat disappeared. I have concluded that I can exercise my little butt off, but if I eat like a horse, I will not lose weight. But that's just my experience.

Urban Myth #3 Tadpoles grow legs and turn into frogs.

I’ve got to be honest here. When Gloria said, “Look at the tadpoles. They’re coming up from the bottom of the pond to get air,” I was looking through over-heated contact lenses. I saw little somethings break the surface of the water. Gloria said they were tadpoles. I accept it because Gloria said it.

Walking alone for the 2.2 miles back to the house wearing flip-flops with 99 degrees of direct sunlight beating down upon my frizzy, humidity-tortured hair, it occurred to me—I have accepted this tadpole tale all my life without question. For several years in a row, my elementary teachers brought into class little jars of pond water filled with tiny sperm-looking creatures. Each teacher explained that these were tadpoles. In time, they would grow legs and turn into frogs. We took turns looking at the murky water, watching for legs to grow. Mrs. Lawrence got all excited one day because she said she could see legs growing on the tadpoles. I looked at the tadpoles. I looked at my legs and the legs of my classmates. I didn’t see anything resembling legs growing on the tadpoles.

Each year, the jar would disappear shortly after discovering the ‘legs.’ I never missed the jar. I never wondered what happened after that. Not one time, not ever, did I see frogs in those jars. Never. If seeing is believing, I’m just not sure that tadpoles grow legs and turn into frogs.

Urban Myth #4 Put this on your hair and it won’t get frizzy.