When Real People speak...

Reading information is one thing. A person you know relating their experience is completely another.

A friend's experience can make what I read seem much more credible. I'm all about the personal recommendation. The anecdotal evidence. Is that just my personality? Or are you the same way?

Yesterday at church I talked to Tiffany, who has been doing her own reading on BPA (bisphenol A). She decided that even though there's a lot of conflicting information out there, she'd rather be on the safe side. She got new BPA-free sippy cups for her kids.

Her telling me that somehow made the things I'd read seem real. Which is funny, because she's not even completely convinced BPA has negative effects. She got rid of the old cups, etc. as a precaution.

And, you know what? Even though I'm still confused about the whole issue, if I had kids, I think I'd do the same thing. And it's not (just) because she told me her story.