Pish Posh and Something Deeper

Don't say things you don't mean.

It's not that I want to ignore whatever you rant about, it's just that you discredit yourself so much, I no longer can believe anything you say. Sometimes I just want to shake you so hard, or if I had the power of Legilimency, I'd plant a experience of a loved one dying in your head, just so you can wake up your idea.

All these deep shite coming from me is rather credible. Being at the receiving end of your parent's divorce can really make you grow up. Yeah you can brush my logic off as being too pragmatic, or too realistic. But thats life, it's real so please don't kid yourself. I had to grow up quick, because, even without anyone passing on the baton, I know that I'm personally responsible for my family.

I may be too realistic, harsh and critical of people I care about because I love you. I cannot tolerate naivety, irresponsibility, shoddy excuses, superficiality and shallow characters.

I am boring most of the time, not wanting to shisha, smoke, club, have a one-night-stand, not buying things on impulse and being too judgmental. Why? Because if I do all those "bad things" excessively, I wouldn't be able to face my parents and brothers. Just because I have expectations that I intend to live up to, doesn't give you a right to judge me because you simply have less responsibility.

One simple example is smoking.

Why do I have no respect for smokers? Because I don't buy their bullshite about it being an outlet of stress-relief. You can't trick me into believing that you don't have any other options or relaxing, one that's not physically harmful. Smoking is bad and you know it. It's been on TV, primary school Health Ed books, campaign leaflets and even your cigarette box. So don't lie and tell me that you're not aware. You are just bloody ignorant and naive.

And for all those who know the horrible effects, I have even less (if that's possible) respect for you. If you don't treasure your life and want to asphyxiate yourselves to death, then by all means. However, for every puff of smoke, you're killing the pregnant lady who walks past, putting her foetus in danger. You're killing your family that lives under the same roof. You're killing your wife who has to literally, "watch you commit suicide", despite it being a slow and gradual process.

For smokers out there who aren't trying to quit, I will never award you the privilege of using the word "love". By smoking, you've taken away all capacity for you to love. You might say you love your girlfriend and don't puff nicotine air into her face and shorten her life. On the other hand, you don't really love her because by endangering your life, you're shortchanging her love for you. Each cigarette would mean that she has a few minutes less life to spend with you. By being the bane of her existence and still smoking, you're killing her reason of happiness and life.

Just because you don't see, or choose not to see the effects of smoking, doesn't mean it is non-existent. I don't buy bull about God or whoever's up there to decide how long you live. You can't tell the future, so by smoking, you might be cheating yourself of a longer life.

If you don't love yourself, you can't love anyone else.

If you love and care for others, you wouldn't hurt them even with a knife at your throat. So why are you smoking and killing yourself when you know how sad/depressed/hurt they would be to see you dead.

I don't smoke because I love life, I love my family, and I love my friends. One minute less of my life would mean a minute less being able to make them happy.

I don't smoke because I want to be able to set a good example for my brothers.

I don't smoke because I don't want to indirectly cause other people to have lung cancer.

I don't smoke because if people die by my second-hand smoke, I wouldn't be able to live with myself.

I don't smoke because I have no right to end my own life.

I don't smoke because my parents would be sad to see me puffing my life away.

I don't smoke because with that money, I could do charity and make other people happier.

I don't approve of people smoking because it's a lousy excuse for anything and everything.

I don't smoke because as I shorten my life, there are people on hospital beds fighting for the very thing I give up so carelessly.

I don't smoke because I have a choice.

I choose to be healthier by having other stress-relief methods.

I choose to be a role model to my brothers.

I choose to shoulder the responsibility of being a pseudo-homemaker/sister/student/daughter/friend all at the same time.

I choose to be pragmatic because of all the extra money saved, I can help the less fortunate.

I choose to look at the big picture that my own small problems because there are others worse off.

I choose not to smoke because I don't want to take the shortcut and shortchange myself of life.

I choose to love life and always look on the bright side.

I choose to eat oats for breakfast because I have the good fortune of having brain-food at home.

I choose not to be picky and waste food because there are parts of the world suffering from famine.

I choose to drink warm beverages because I believe they are healthier.

I choose to not succumb to peer pressure because no one I care about would love me less.

I choose to be mentally resilient because I have so much more to live for.

I choose to pick myself up after every fall because if I don't, no one else can.

I choose not to wallow in self-pity (having a "broken family", or not being physically attractive enough) because that's not going to help me get through life.

I choose my choices, and if that makes me a little more boring, somewhat too practical, extremely cynical and profoundly unsympathetic and ultimately very judgmental, then I grant you the right to dislike and judge me because I really couldn't care less.