Don't turn around... just walk away

Why is it hard to walk away from something that you know is bad for you? I don't mena something that you know "deep down" is bad for you... I mean stuff that is OBVIOUSLY bad for you?
People smoke. People who smoke have no misconceptions about what smoking is doing to them. I don't care if you believe smoking causes anything... emphesema, cancer, whatever... it doesn't matter if the person thinks it actually causes a specific disease or not, all smokers know it's bad for their health. They know it makes them smell bad, taste bad, and just generally unpleasant to be around UNLESS the other people are smokers. Actually, I've even heard other smokers complain about being around smokers. They also blame smoking for just about everything wrong. The cough, the phlegm, the voice, the smell, the ratty hair, the shortness of breath... it all is from smoking. So, uh, hey genius... why the hell do you do it?
Drinkers drink. Alcoholics DRINK. I go out and enjoy a beer. I can also go out and enjoy soda. I've had some nights where I go out and enjoy MANY beers and tequila and vodka and other stuff I don't bother to question. I can drink almost every night in a week or go for months without a drop. My sister has at least three beers a day. Or four or five glasses of wine. Some days it's both. I know people who drink solely to get drunk. It helps them "deal with a bad day" or with "stress" or to "forget their problems". It's not the cause that bothers me as much as the lack of moderation. Going out and getting shit faced with friends is fine and dandy even if only a weekly thing. But when it's a DAILY thing, I worry about people. Drinkers also know what it's doing to them. They know that they may not be the best person when drunk. Hell, a lot of people love to use that as an excuse! "Oh, I wouldn't normally have taken my shirt and bra off and slept with those three guys in the club's bathroom but, well, shit I was DRUNK!" Actually, they pronounce it "dru-uuuuu-unk". See, when the word is stretched out like that, it means they were REALY REALLY REALLY drunk. Like using all caps. :) Drinkers also know it's not the best thing for their liver or bladder or kidneys or anything. "I'm gonna go kill some brain cells". I've killed many a useless chunk of grey matter in my day, don't get me wrong. I am not above any of this criticism since I know what I do is not the healthiest way to live but at least I can go more than a day without it.
People do drugs. Pot, coke, crack, heroin, E, X, acid, whatever. Freon, for god's sake. Whip-its? Oy! PAIN MEDS!!! Except for most pot smokers, drug users understand the damage being done. They can see themselves changing in a mirror and in their more lucid moments will admit to not being happy about it. Sadly, this just makes them get MORE so they can forget about it or just not feel so bad about it. Too many pot smokers still like to believe that no damage is being done... at least admit that it's not healthy. You don't have to admit it's a gateway drug or anything like that since I know that's not true for EVERYONE... for some folks, yes. I only believe that in certain cases but accept that it's possible in all. Just like cigarettes, smoke going into lungs should just SEEM like a bad idea, regardless of impact. They all feel good, I'm sure. All the drugs. Reminds me of the comedian explaining drugs (Williams or Carlin, can't remember which... must be all the drinkin!)... "Drugs feel great! We aren't STUPID, if they were terrible, we wouldn't do them!" Little picture view blocking the big picture.
So why am I suddenly thinking about all this now? Because it ain't the above things that I wanted to discuss.
Nope.
Those are easy to defend.
Cigarettes, alcohol and drugs are all addictive. Some more than others. Hell, you can even argue reckless living is addictive... good ol' adrenalin!
No sir, I wanted to talk about the OTHER bad addiction (not myspace)...
PEOPLE.
Yes, people.
We all know at least one person who is with another person and shouldn't be. You hear them bitch non-stop about him/her. You have to usualy ASK to hear something GOOD about the other person and even then it's a backhanded compliment.
"He's not always an asshole."
"She only cheated on me once."
"I know he didn't expect me to fall down the stairs when he threw the bag at me."
Lately, it's been worst among women.
Ok, not really LATELY so much as ALWAYS.
I know, personally, I've been in situations where I probably should walk away from the person and not look back. I know that I just don't like to admit defeat and quit. I tend to want to try to work things out. I have to have concrete evidence thrust in my face that it is pointless to try before I give up. Even then I usually continue talking with the woman. I can't help it. But I aslo know taht when I see these woman and listen to their stories... well, I just know I would NEVER have been able to get away with even HALF the shit these guys do.
One woman I know came home to find an ex's clothes in the hamper, some food missing from the fridge and an apparent "lived in" look that had changed in the place. That's right, the ex STILL had a key that she didn't know he had and came over, ate HER food, watched HER tv and left HIS clothes in HER hamper for HER to wash. She calls the landlord to have the locks changed so she doesn't have to talk to the guy to get the key back. Good for her, I said. Then she asked a male friend (husband,separated/baby daddy) to swing over theere since he was off and watch the place for if the ex came back. Weird way to do it but the thought was strong! This was all revealed to me Monday. By Wednesday, the "ex" had not only been back by but she tells me today... ugh... she tells me she put her foot down and told him he had to start sleeping on the couch because his coughing and such from his cold was keeping her awake.
Because he was sleeping in her bed.
With her.
"Oh," she laughed, "it was so cute... he knocked when he came over!" She giggled for a good minute after that. Seems he thought she had ALREADY changed the locks. Nope. Silly man.
I wanted to slap her SO hard.
Oh, but wait... want a better one?
Tune in tomorrow!
(But feel free to start commenting.)