Omg, quitting smoking is hard!

I recently quit smoking. I have tried before but it's hard as hell. After about 4 months I went back to it the last time. So far this time it has been 3 months or pretty close to that. I just fell off the wagon a couple of days ago. Man quitting is hard! After smoking a few cigs over the last few days, I feel pretty comfortable that I still don't want to smoke again. Unfortunately, I bought a pack and a lighter. ($6.99, jesus, that's a lot of money) I am so nervous that I will start back up again. This little fiasco did teach me that it seems like I really am ready to quit though.
If you are an ex smoker, what do you do to stay quit? Even if you are a smoker, what are your reasons for still smoking? If you live in Michigan, what will you do after May 1st, when you won't be able to smoke anywhere but your own home, car and a couple of businesses? Let me know.

"....But we can still be friends."

Most of us have gone through a break-up. Some of us many times over. And even fewer of us have remained friends with our ex's. This all I assume. I don't really have any hard data showing the statistics of break-ups remaining friends, but I feel that I can safely say that this doesn't happen very often.


From my experiences, it may seem like the other person may be a good friend after the break up, but in reality it is just a way of holding onto what the two of you shared together. This is not all bad, of course. Every relationship has its ups and downs. It is good to remember the good times, but don't let the good times over shadow the bad ones to the point of questioning your relationship status. This is the problem some people have in remaining friends with an ex. It is comfortable to be around this person and you don't want that comfort to end. It is hard starting over. So, within the uncomfortableness they reach out to the one person that understands them best, the ex. Inevitably the once ended relationship regains its momentum, and you suddenly find yourself in love with this person again. In some, and I mean some, cases this is the right thing. I can't speak about that aspect of a relationship because it has never happened that way for me, but I caution people to look twice at their actions. Is this true love or is it a habitual love? Is this true love or is it a lack of comfort love? Love is a crazy thing and none of us may ever find out what it really means, but one thing that I find is true in all love situations is that not only do you need to follow your heart, you also need to use your brain. Too often, I feel, people only do the heart following part and neglect their brain and what it is saying to do. So.....is it possible for two people to be friends after a break up? Let me know, by leaving a comment below. I will read every one. Thanks for stopping by and I will see you next week.

Welcome!

For my first blog posting I would like to say, "Hello and Welcome". I sort of started this on a whim and I'm not sure what I intend to accomplish or what I am expecting. I pretty much decided that I will use this as a way to vent and express myself. That is a good reason to have a blog, I think. I welcome responses and critiques. I also welcome requests. If there is something on your mind that you would like to hear me discuss or express my views on, then please just ask.

Right off the bat I should let you know that I plan on being very honest and upfront here. I want you to see the real me and decide if you want to read more of what I write. I consider myself an average guy. Average looks, average grades, average ambitions and average skills. I enjoy being average. No one expects too much out of me and yet they come to me for help or advice as if I am an expert. The average people in this world get a bum wrap. Everyone is out to be something special. There is nothing wrong with that on the surface but people like this often miss out on life in the process. I am veering off though, so let me get back on topic. Contrary to what I just said though, I do have plans. I enjoy art and design and am currently working on an associates degree in Graphic Design. I suppose I could someday be working for some corporate business and be the opposite of average, but I just want a good job with a decent pay so I can do the things I want to and go where I want to go. I also want a decent home and car and some nice things inside them. This, I protest, is very different than what most people are after these days. It seems that everyone wants to be famous. I don't. I can be happy writing a good blog that people want to read or doing a vlog that people want to see. My point here is that I am average and not ashamed of it. I guess I could have just said that from the beginning. Oh well. That's something else you should know is that I ramble.

Ok, now that you have an idea of who I am I want to start off on a subject. The subject I am about to visit will also let you in on something else about me. The subject is sexuality. Yes, I am gay. I have been out for quite some time. (please, if you disagree with me about this then simply don't read on. There is no need to be mean or express your distaste for "my kind", so just move on) The subject I would like to venture into is how gay people generally have to reveal their sexuality right away when they meet someone. I realize I just revealed mine here in my first post. I simply wanted to give others a chance who disagree with me to not be a part of my blog. I think that is a good reason to reveal it. Plus I'm not shy or ashamed by my sexuality, I just don't think it has to be the first thing that people hear about you. Most of the time they can tell before you tell them anyway. So, do you agree with me or do you think I'm being stupid? Leave a comment either way.

I realize this was a lame first blog, but give me a break, it's my first time. I promise they will get better as the weeks go on. Thanks for reading. Reading is fundamental. lol