Pill Popping

People take a pill or many at some time,or maybe all the time, in their lives. I do not like taking pills, never have, and as a child fought having to. A little later, I saw pills being taken and learned that they are simply part of being human, and that they appear to do good.  I found out that they were, in adults, the solution to fixing illnesses and pain. Nowadays, I have a couple of pills I must take to replace what my body forgot, but others I refuse to take, even on medical advice until I think well about it first. I always like to listen to my own body and then to those who give advice concerning it. Including doctors, who do know a great deal about human bodies, but not fully about mine in particular. Medical specialists, especially pharmacists, give useful advice on pills and their composition, effects and use. Pills have a long history dating back to the Egyptians who made them out of natural products. They weren't always for illness, but as balls of grease or spices. Someone came up with adding beneficial additions to help the sick.  The Greeks came up with katapotia which means something to pop into your mouth and the Romans called it, pilula. Pills? High society in the fashionable 1500's liked to coat pills in silver and gold which they thought would send them down more quickly. The other day, I thought I ought to take a pill that a lot of elders do for bone health. The pill was huge and dry and in a strange elongated shape of pressed powder that made it almost impossible to swallow. I spent a lot of time chopping the things in half, but it didn't help them go down much. And gold or silver were out of the question. I decided finally that rather than be ejected into the next world via choking on a pill, I'd rather take a chance and just drink milk, better still, eat ice cream or yogurt. Pain pills are likely the most widely taken ones in the world. Pain is a natural body warning that something isn't working. Some people pop the pain pill immediately, without question. Sometimes there is another solution and it seems to me, it's better than putting something into the body it must then adjust to and perhaps cause further trouble. Thought or advice is needed. Family, friends, foods, sleep, communication, suitable exercise and a good environment are far better than pills. And they're a lot easiser to swallow.