Ellemental: A New Way to Pop Pills
Elemental Recovery Topics with a Twist of Humor
Bring in the new. Out with the old as the ball drops in Times Square.
Right on cue within the first five days of January I said “Basta!” in Italian that is “Enough!” of using the plastic institutional seven-day pill box from the drug store.
It hit me in one instant: Use the two-section decorative pill boxes instead. Over the last 15 years I’ve collected colorful pill boxes in my travels. Three square pill boxes. One with a mellow yellow design. The second is a terrific teal. The other has a hot pink pattern. There’s a silver container and a black croc-embossed one as well.
The dilemma is: Can we be okay taking our pills out in public at a restaurant if we take our medication with food? I always took out a tiny oval pill box under the edge of the table and tried to swallow the pillole inconspicuously.
Just why. Shame lives in secrecy, silence, and judgment. The Italian word for pills —pillole—rolls off the tongue in this romance language of my heritage.
If a dinner companion asks why I’m taking the pills I say: “They’re a kind of vitamin.” Others should be impressed that you want to take care of your health. So far no one’s asked me for the brand name of the “vitamin” I’m imbibing.
Besides I would like to ask the ones who harbor stigma: “What’s it to you?” that I have a medical condition. One day they could become ill and need compassion. What goes around comes around.
What I do at home is fill the two-section pill boxes and store them in the credenza. Keep one on the dining table. Replace the empty box with a filled one for starting the new usage. Then call in when a refill is due.
Va bene—it goes well not to have the plastic seven-day pill box cluttering the dining table. January is Get Organized Month.
Per oracle Google the month’s focus is: decluttering physical spaces, optimizing schedules, creating better habits, and boosting overall well-being. The themes are: often ties into New Year’s resolutions, emphasizing fresh starts, productivity, and managing stress.
Marie Kondo was right that tidying up really is “life-changing magic.” She’s created an industry around doing what sparks joy.
Bet you didn’t think taking pills could spark joy either. I’m here to say that using the decorative boxes has made it fun. No—I don’t miss the plastic drug store container.
Come on you could likely find a bevy of attractive pill boxes on Amazon. Plus—I hear Amazon Prime is cheaper for customers who collect government benefits.
Imagine not having to look at an ugly plastic box again.
So when I swallow the pills with a glass of water I say: “Salut!” To health!
