The State of the World As We Know It...

One of my first Facebook statuses today was that I was feeling sad and going to look for something good to read to distract myself until time for work.  I found something good to read, or reread actually; Lynsay Sands Born to Bite. It's one of her Argeneau novels and if you care at all for paranormal romance it's definitely a series not to be missed.

But I digress.  I was feeling sad this morning, and actually I'm still feeling a bit sad.  Partially due to personal situations that are just a part of life and will work themselves out as my children and I continue to adjust to the changing roles of adult parent child relationships.  What really made me sad, and has bothered me for awhile now (and yes I already know how utterly ridiculous this is going to sound, but bear with me and I'll sort of explain at the end) is this whole thing with Charlie Sheen.

Now don't get me wrong here, I'm not a crazed Charlie Sheen groupie (everyone knows my preferences for Shemar Moore above all else) or generally one to follow the antics of  Hollywood.  I could care less what Lindsy Lohan is stealing or who Brittney Spears is flipping out on.  I don't know if it's just because Charlie Sheen has chosen to direct his rants focused on the camera and in person as opposed to being caught by nosy paparazzi.  Perhaps it's because I have people that I love above all else in life who suffer from drug and alcohol abuse/addiction as well as mental illnesses; or maybe it's the respect that I've always had for Martin Sheen as a fellow Dayton native.  Whatever reason this instance of insantity or detox psychosis or whatever it is have sort of thrown me for a loop.

Again don't be misled here, I don't at all feel sorry for Charlie Sheen.  He's been given more opportunities and feet forward than most and I'm a hard fast believer in the idea that life hands out mitigating circumstances not excuses.  Personal responsibility for ones actions is important to me and while drug addition and mental illness should never be ignored as motivators they should also never be accepted to excuse responsibility for someone's actions... at least not in my little corner of the universe...

So what exactly is my problem?  What is it making me sad?  I think it's the fact that everytime I hear someone talking about it or see a Facebook post it's always about how crazy he is or speculation on whether this is a result of detox or just continuing drug use.  (Which is, most likely, exactly what keeps good ole Charlie ranting on, because it either brings attention to his plight or feeds his delusions of grandeur which are part and parcel of BiPolar Disorder but also come with drug addiction and detox psychosis and there goes the cycle of speculation.)  There's never, not even after the speculation and disgust at his actions, any glimmer of consideration for him as a human being or for his family who will suffer the lifelong effects of whatever the hell his malfunction is.  Has anyone, anywhere, even once, ever seen a post or overheard a conversation regarding Charlie Sheen that ended with "I'll be keeping Charlie and his family in my prayers"???

Regardless of whether someone is religious in the sense of attending an organized church/prayer service on a regular basis or is a self proclaimed agnostic or athiest shouldn't there be some consideration for the human condition?  I don't care if you dance naked around a fire in the clearing at the four solstices or run the pew backs speaking in tongues or poke your nose in the air at any thought of there being an entity more powerful than you controlling your destiny... there is never an excuse for completely ignoring the suffering of another human being... At least not in my little corner of the universe...

So I'm not saying feel sorry for the earths idiots, addicts, thieves, thugs, gangsters, and physically unattrative... I'm just saying to remember two things:  #1, if you're religious you might want to keep in mind the addage "There but for the grace of God go I" and take heed that just because you have a good life situation today doesn't mean that will be the case this time next year.  and #2 for those of you who don't believe in the power and presence of God I give
you this... Karma is a bitch with PMS and a GPS and sooner or later your address will be the next on her hit list.

Pay it forward people... a prayer, a kind thought, a smile in an elevator... none of those things will cost you a dime but they could be worth a lottery to the person on the receiving end.

As a formerly lifelong morbidly obese person I have to say this...

Let the kids have their fucking chocolate milk... give them vegetables and fruits and lots of protein and see that they get lots of water and a little juice...  take away the video games, give them a stick and send them outside to play... make sure they are well socialized and emotionally healthy... play with them, love them, and pay particular attention to the first 3 years of their life... but take my word for it, a container of chocolate milk with their school lunch isn't what makes them fat and unhealthy... that comes from being unsocialized, inactive, withdrawn, and introverted...  aka being lonely and generally unhappy...  poor eating habits can be supplimented and turned around, but I truly believe (through personal experience and observation) that the root causes of childhood obesity are emotional and not dietary.

Let me also add... make sure your Dr is looking at EVERY medical possibility for unhealthy weight issues... Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome in little girls is a huge cause of childhood obesity but until very recently that wasn't a disorder that was even thought about unless a woman had serious issues with cysts or had difficulty getting pregnant.  It is caused by an imbalance with insulin/glucose and even if all the tests for diabetes and other insulin/sugar related disorders are negative make sure that the ratio between them is being looked at as well.  PCOS is a precursor to adult onset diabetes and can contribute not only to weight issues but depression and other emotional issues as well.