And by weed I mean the smokable kind that’s propelled itself onto a ballot near you. Vote YES! to legalize medi-mary. Vote NO! to keep it off the counter at your neighborhood corner store! I’m not about to go into a long epistle (Heather, thanks for that), about whether or not I ever inhaled, let’s just say that me and the herb have been acquainted at various times in my life. The whole marijuana question has come up often enough for me to really decide how I feel and think about this- “little gift from Mother Nature.” Ah, but is it a gift? Mother Nature provided us with poison hemlock and oleander too, but I’m not about to go rolling around in it, or grow it hydroponically. Yes. Yes, I understand that’s not a fair comparison. Herbs have been used medicinally long before recorded history, so why has the pot subject irked me for almost as many years? I suppose it goes back to early recovery for me. I was in a relationship with someone who smoked and I felt afraid for my sobriety and truly a bit put off. It bugged me that my girlfriend would choose to alter her frame of mind around me. Didn’t I deserve to have her complete unadultered attention? How could I tell if she was responding to me, or the weed? I couldn’t. And damn if I didn’t want complete control over situations, and for much of my life, our relationship. We all know (don’t we?), that control is merely folly, but I digress.

The rudimentary facts are that I hate to see people f-ed up. Drunk, high, whatever. I spend (for the most part, nowadays) zero time with people who “party” or heavily (ab)use substances affecting them from the neck up. I don’t partake in those “recreational activities,” so unless someone wants to reach out for help, I hardly ever see that stuff going on. (But has anyone else felt like the only person left on Earth lately who doesn’t hit the bong?)

But Dee, you say, what about medical marijuana? Peeps, I reply, pain relief is necessary. The opioid crisis makes me sad that we’ve sunk so low as a society so as not to do our best to protect people from the risk of addiction. Don’t you just love it when I go off on a tangent? Me too. I’ve heard from a boatload of people who say that while they’re not recreational users of marijuana, they’d sure use it for relief from pain. I wouldn’t begrudge a soul the possibility of wresting some satisfying hiatus from chronic pain or nausea or etc., but why do I bristle at folks who smoke for fun? Not jealous or resentful (mainly because I never got a thrill from the stuff, and I find the smell of the smoke repugnant), so that’s not it. Hmm…maybe because it’s illegal? Nope, I do illegal things. Just yesterday I didn’t stop completely when the sign clearly instructed me to do so. I took it as more of a suggestion, really. Why just this morning I jaywalked on my foot commute to work, and don’t even get me started on those mattress tags I’ve removed before delivering to the consumer!

Kidding aside, it is MORE illegal by way of punishment, and federally it’s still a crime that if convicted, may keep you from acquiring things like a job, a home, a car, freedom. That shit scares me. I’m grateful I don’t have to worry about those kinds of shenanigans. I dont think I’d feel satisfied with my life while wearing an orange jumpsuit.

I do believe the answer then, is that I have pre-conceived ideas and longstanding judgement issues with pot users. I fall victim to thinking alongside a “group” or “entity” or the “self-righteous,” instead of thinking it out for myself. So I’ve done that now, through the construction of this post, come to a bit of resolution about it.

There are certain youngsters that I’m acquainted with who have shared the fact that they smoke pot. My first reaction is to lure them up a mountain and then lock them up in a monastery, but since the practicalities of that are slim, I have no choice but  to accept it. I must admit that it bugs me way more to see young folks smoke tobacco. Now there’s something that should be illegal.

I do believe that while for me, marijuana remains a weed that serves no useful purpose to promote my own well-being, I have to lay down my prejudices and simply say, you do you boo-boo. I’m gonna have to go with Willie on this one and live and let live.

Peace out peeps.✌🏽️

  My name is Dee Fortin and I intend to vote sensibly. I vote on the issues that affect me, my friends, my family, my dreams, my hopes for this great country. I will not stand silently by and watch a woman who has no interest beyond her own gun-toting, abortion opposing (even in the event of rape), earmarker of funds for Alaska, abuser of power, bridge to nowhere profiter, ex brother-in-law banishing, women’s rights bashing agenda. I believe in the strength and tenacity of women. I do not believe that Sarah Palin is among us. Her cutesy terms and admitted redneckism, Joe-shmo, hockey ho, perceptions have no place in the lives of hardworking Americans. THIS IS SCARY PEOPLE! The actuary tables don’t lie. SHE MIGHT BE PRESIDENT! I vote HELL NO in November. I shudder to think of the consequences of ignorant ballot casting. We must vote our conscience. Suffragettes lament in their graves knowing this woman is on any ballot, anywhere, despite their battles to grant us voting rights. I am pro-woman, but I am most surely anti-Palin. Let’s not be affected by John McCain’s desperate attempt at appealing to our solidarity as women. We cannot afford to be fooled.

 I will also be voting no on two. The constitutional amendment Article 1, new section, which prohibits, in a nut shell, marriage between any persons other than one man, one woman. Furthermore, Florida is the only state that specifically bans gays from adopting. I challenge any Floridian lawmaker (yes, you Governor Crist), to tell me to my face that I am ill-equipped, based soley on my sexual preference, to care for a child. I’ve been caring for YOUR high school dropouts since I moved here. This is a ludicrous and plain; ‘good ole boy’ redneck philosophy that needs to be expunged. I am here to change the minds of good American people who have sense. But I don’t do it by preaching fear and bigotry from atop an ignorant soapbox. I do it with grace, tolerance and intellect. As my constitution reads to me.

http://slackeruprising.com/download/location.php?utm_medium=download&utm_source=31371199

The republican party has provided an economic meltdown. The democratic supporter Michael Moore, gave us clean undies and Ramen noodles. Rising up, I am. 

Yeah.

My head, like my bed is empty right now. I’m afraid that I must have let go of my, ‘WOW.’

I used to have game, y’all. Really I did. Not so much today, it’s come to the skids.

My weight that has gained, caused romance to wane. It sucks but it’s true, us women pursue…

…We want so much to look like this girl or that. We peer into mirrors and think that we’re fat.

Women are gifted, but I forget this at times. I get trapped by the notion, and the;  “size two”  head crimes.

I’m going so soon, to the land of Ohio. The girls haven’t seen me since I was sooo fly-o.

It’s all good. I’ve warned all my ladies. It’s my humor they seek, or so they’ve told all my maties.

Not such a pirate these days of dog summer, but I’m getting back on my track so it’s not such a bummer.

I’ll chuckle and snicker and make light of the scale, but inside I’ll fret over my mirror’s inner whale.

My bed lies still empty-I guess it’s ok. I doubt that I’d want you beside me today.

I’d roll over to find that you’re still not here. I’ll snuggle instead with my overweight fear.

My bed, like my head, is empty this night. But my faith in Slim-Fast makes everything allright.

G’night all you ladies who harbor self doubt. I’ll take your false mirrors and toss ’em about.