Lighten up

I don't want to seem like a negative nancy but I tired of all the negativity i seem to be incountering lately. I seems like when I talk to people, no matter what the topic someone feels the need to make a doom and gloom prophesy about it or a negative opinion. For example, we recently adopted a chihuahua from the SPCA and the first thing everyone said was either "they are yappy dogs!" or "they are ugly." Just about everyone said they hated chihuahuas. I don't nkow why they feel like i need to know their opinion on chihuahuas. The dog is for me and my family, not for them. I've had people come up to me and say, "No offence, but i don't like little dogs." Why do they tell ME. What do they want me to say to that? "Sorry. I appologize for owning a dog you don't like." I don't get it. And frankly I'm a bit tired of it. I tell people that i teach middle school and they say "I hate middle schoolers." I say i have horses and i get "Horses are so stupid." And they proceed to tell me a story in which they were a bad rider and the horse acted accordingly. I mean come on, people. Basically, no one wants to hear your negative comments, especially if they are not helpful. I' going to work ont that myself because I'm sure i do it too.

Hunting

So, I'm a bit of an animal person. I love animals and find it very rewarding to have them in my life. This does not mean that I am a vegan or against eating animals etc. Everything has a job and that's okay. But I never liked the idea of hunting. I felt it to be unnecessary since we have food that is raised for food so why go out and shoot wild animals for that. But recently i have had a change of heart. I think I would like to learn to hunt. I think it would be a good skill to know how to do, because, hey, you never know when you might NEED to survive off of such a skill. I want my children to learn to hunt also. I think it is important for people to understand where their food comes from and hopefully my kids will be able to be more thoughtful and conscientious about where that food is coming from. That an animal gave up it's life so that they could eat. Hopefully it will help them be more frugal and waste less. Hunting would be hard for me though, I'm not going to lie. I'm not sure I could do it. But i guess people do a lot of things they don't think they can do when necessity calls for it.

Suggies!

So I don't really have any deep topic to discuss in this entry so I decided to take the opportunity to spotlight my pet sugar gliders. They are one of the coolest pets I have ever had the privilege to own. Imagine having a dog, a cat, and a monkey all rolled up into an animal the size of a gerbil. That's what they are like. They are little marsupials from New Zealand and Australia. They are the smallest marsupials in the world. This means they have a pouch like a kangaroo or a koala. They are soft like chinchilalas and hypo-allergenic. They are scent oriented and bond to you. Since they are nocturnal, they play all night in a big aviary. During the day, they sleep in a pouch. Or if the glider is bonded to you, they sleep in your shirt all day. My glider is named Optimus Prime. We are going through the bonding process now. He was born February 14, 2008, so he is almost a year old now. With the proper care and diet, these guys can live 10-12 years in captivity. Optimus is my new glider. My previous glider, Stella, was tragically injured on Thanksgiving Day when a box fell on her. We took her to the vet and spent $300 but she passed away in my hands shortly after we returned home from the vet. She was a primo glider and the sweetest I have ever met. But Optimus brings his own little personality to the table and I am having fun bonding with him. He is my "American Express Glider", I don't leave home without him. I take him to work, to class, even to church. He is waking up now so I should go put him back in the cage to hang out with his mom (Annie) and grandma (Lydia). Every night we have to chop up fresh fruits and veggies, as well as meat and we top it all off with some yogurt. These are fun but high maintenance pets. You have to be willing to put in the time or they won't be nice. The more time you spend with them, the nicer they become.

Are you afraid of the Dark?

What are you afraid of? I've been thinking about fear lately. I'm having trouble thinking of a good use for fear. I find fear to be highly limiting and even paralyzing. How awful to be hindered by one's own fear. It keeps us from achieving our full potential. A lot of psychological disorders are rooted in fear. And I'm not just talking phobias. Obsessive/Compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder, even depression are marked by debilitating fear. I recently had an interaction with someone that left me thinking, "What are you so afraid of?!" It made wonder to myself, "What am I so afraid of?" Am I afraid of looking stupid? Am I afraid of rejection? Probably. Who isn't. I guess I just need to make sure that these fears aren't holding me back from the things I want.