No! Really??

Okay, I get it.  Smoking is a bad habit.  I acknowledge this.  I really do.

I try to stand away from others when I do it so they're not bothered.  I don't smoke in my home or in the homes of others.  I do my best not to litter.  I stand the prerequisite 15 ft. from a doorway.  If a child is coming down the sidewalk, I step away so smoke doesn't go toward them.

Here's the thing though ... I'm not an idiot.

It's not like I don't know that it's bad for me!  Just like you know that cheeseburger you're eating is bad for you.  Just like you know that 3rd drink at the bar might not be great for you.  I know it, but I choose to do it anyway.

I don't yell at people who have screaming infants in public places.  It bothers me.  It's noise pollution.  It was their choice to procreate.  But, it's not unbearable for a few seconds as I walk by.   I may think your perfume stinks to high heaven, but it's not socially acceptable for me to do a fake cough and hold my nose as I walk by you.  And before you start getting irate, no, I do not think that these situations are all the same.  I'm just making a point!

I know that many people disagree with what I'm saying, but here's the thing: Do you really think you're telling people something new when you tell them that smoking is bad for them????  Really, Einstein?

If you have people you love that you are truly concerned about because of their smoking, talk to them about it.  Come at it from a place of love.  But do not (I BEG OF YOU) show them a picture of a blackened lung or give them an ingredient list from a pack of cigarettes.  You immediately put them on the defensive and they don't want to talk to you about it anymore!

Smoking is addictive, and ... here's the clincher ... it's something people actually like to do.  It gives us an excuse to go outside periodically.  It gives us a chance to socialize.  It gives us a little buzz.  It calms our nerves.  Etc.

Please, please, please don't act like smokers must be idiots because smoking is nothing more than a way to kill yourself.  Try being a little bit more understanding and they'll probably be more understanding of where you're coming from too.

That's all I have to say about that.

Inspire Me, Dammit!

So, one of my hobbies is making jewelry.  Unfortunately, I have been COMPLETELY uninspired lately!  I feel like everything I make is mundane and trite.  Worst of all, I think it might be boring.  Or, even worse than worst of all ... cute.

Let's face it, I'm not exactly an artist.  But, I like to make things.  Therein lies the rub, dear friends.

How do you deal with wanting to make things and wanting to create, but not having the talent to do so in a big way???

I can't tell you how jealous I am of people I know who truly are artists.  They have the eye, they have the inspiration, they have the drive, they have the talent!  Envy is circling me like an emerald-eyed snake right now.  And I can't think of a thing to do with the emeralds...