Defining Friendship and Family

The one thing about the English language, that you have to get down quickly, is the definitions of things.  Some words can sound the same, but have different meanings.  Some words actually have meanings, but mean different things to different people.  The best example, is friendship and family.

Friend:

 a person whom one knows and with whom one has a bond of mutual affection, typically exclusive of sexual or family relations.

Family:

a. A fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children.
b. Two or more people who share goals and values, have long-term commitments to one another, and reside usually in the same dwelling place.

The Visible Effects of Hard Drugs on the Body

One of the ugliest parts of living in a small town is the ratio of people who use drugs.  What is really sad is how apparent it is.  Many drugs damage the body in many obvious ways.  Crystal Meth is one of the most obvious.

Lisa and I are close to the same age, yet there are people she graduated with that look well over double our age.  The scars, the sagging skin, the wrinkles, and the teeth are all huge indicators.  There are so many folks she’s introduced me to that look as old as Lisa’s mother (who has aged decently well) yet are either our age or younger.

A Parent's Performance

George Carlin once said:

“obedience and respect shouldn't be automatic. They should be earned, and based on the parent's performance. Some parents deserve respect, most of them don't, period.”

I’ve always lived by that quote, because I’ve seen way too many parents who simply just don’t deserve the respect they think they should be getting, and I’ve seen some parents get say more respect than they deserve.

It’s a truly sad fact of life, but some parents just aren’t good parents.  Luckily, somehow, I got two great parents.  In their own way, they’ve been the two people I could count on to give me the support I needed, when I needed it.  And sometimes they’ve tried to help me too much, and I’ve had to tell them no.