Politeness… it’s not all good.

So I was sitting in the cafe today following a physio session (they’re starting to talk about discharge which is good, so I may be climbing soon) and I was minding my own business but couldn’t help overhearing what was going on at the table next to me. The cafe is a nice one, they do good coffee, the owner is cheerful and friendly and I like it a lot. It sounded like she knew the customers and was telling them about some of her plans for the cafe.

Cafe Owner: So come November we’re going to have a two hour session every monday and wednesday. It’s like acupuncture but without the needles.

My ears prick up at this point. Like acupuncture? The last stuff I read about acupuncture was an interesting comparison of acupuncture with sham-acupuncture (where needles are stuck in randomised locations but by someone who behaves like a ‘qualified’ acupuncturist. There was no difference in result).

C.O.: Yes it’s incredible, you know it can deal with headaches, migraines, joint pain, rheumatism lots of things.

Hmm, that’s quite a claim, I wonder if I should ask a question.

C.O.: It’s really a way of releasing your stress and toxins. 99 no 98% of all illness is due to stress.

Ahhh good old toxins. Wow. That’s… um so wrong. Cancer? Stress, Necrotising Faciitis… maybe that’s one of the one no two percent. Should I stand up and say something.

C.O.: It’s quite a new thing, it’s basically the combination of science and quantum physics.

This would be the quantum physics that isn’t science. At this point I wanted to ask her a little about quantum physics, maybe ask if she could describe some of the current areas of research or maybe what is quantum. And while she was at it, what toxins was she talking about?

C.O: I mean, we’re all blocked in some way from reaching our potential maybe by something deep in our past, something where someone has said you can’t do that, you’re not able to do something and this can release all that. You don’t even have to identify it out loud. You can just think it and afterwards you’ll be so liberated. It’s amazing to see, some people laugh, or yawn or just look really happy. You’ve heard of NLP? Lot’s of neurolinguistic programmers use it.

I’m stifling a laugh here. It’s quantum physics / needle-less-acupuntcture / psychoanalysis / psychic all in one handy afternoon session in the coffee shop. I really should say something. I really should stand up and not let this twaddle go unchallenged.

It’s not my conversation, I shouldn’t be listening in, I shouldn’t be telling other people what to think. It’s not polite to interfere. I’ll keep reading my book.