'Bodies' shows respect

So, I've just gotten home from seeing Bodies ... The Exhibition at Union Terminal. It was the exhibit's opening night, and I had been waiting to see it since I first heard it was coming to Cincinnati. As a massage therapist, I was intrigued by the idea of seeing my anatomy text brought to life in a new way. Then, a couple of weeks ago, all of the controversy began. Was Bodies any way to show respect for a deceased human being?

Well, let me assure you, it is! Other than organ donation, I can't imagine a more noble cause for a dead person. It was an educational and entirely awe-inspiring experience for me. It was amazing to see the way the muscles and organ systems all fit together. There were even side-by-side comparisons of healthy and diseased organs - a great eye-opener for those of us who don't take the best care of our bodies. And for me, being married and considering having a baby in the relatively near future, the fetal development section of the exhibit was particularly fascinating. The way that the vast networks of nerves and blood vessels were preserved and displayed was breathtaking!

For anyone who is worried about being grossed out by the exhibit, I didn't find anything gross about it. I think any disgust at the dissected bodies is quickly overtaken by curiosity and wonder. My husband, who will readily admit that he is squeamish, quite enjoyed the exhibit, too.

In spite of my excitement to be at the Bodies exhibit, I couldn't help but feel that it wasn't Cincinnati's proudest moment. For opening night of such a big event, the turnout was surprisingly low. I had expected the crowd to be overwhelming and even considered going at a later date so I could take my time. As it turned out, we often had an exhibition section entirely to ourselves. There were people rushing past us, barely glancing at the bodies. And they certainly weren't reading about them. I even overheard two parents and their young son cracking jokes about cross-sections of reproductive organs. Surely that's no way to treat a dead human being?

I really hope that the lack of attendance on the opening day of Bodies ... The Exhibition in our city can be attributed to things like the cold weather and school and sports functions. And I do understand that the museum may not be a lot of people's idea of a Friday night hot spot.

I also hope that, over the next seven months, Cincinnatians flock to the museum and walk away from Bodies with the same reverence for the human body and its capabilities that I did. I would hate to think that, as a city, we are ignorant about and disinterested in our own bodies.

Katie Sandlin lives in Oakley and works at the Cincinnati Sports Club as a massage therapist. When not marveling over the human body, she loves spending time making jewelry and hanging out with her husband and super-cute stepdaughter. She is also currently involved in a fundraising project to raise money to get her stepdaughter a service dog. Find out more at www.geocities.com/littlelindsey3.