It isn't rude to be nude!

I want to make a case against being fully clothed at all times. Before you get all huffy or offended, let me say my piece. I am not a nudist, nor do I think it's appropriate to be naked in public. I just think back to the good old days, before Adam and Eve went about their sinnin' and had to wear those fig leaves or whatever. They were nude, and I guarantee you, those guys were loving it. You know why? Because it didn't feel wrong or dirty back then. God was totally cool with their nakedness (having created them that way and all) and they were not ashamed of their bare bods. Most likely, this also had to do with the fact that they were the only people around and there were no way hotter chicks or more muscle-y men for them to compete with, but you get it. They loved being naked.

Now, friends, what happened after Adam and Eve ate of that fruit? Their eyes were opened and they became ashamed of their nakedness. They scrambled around to find something to cover their man and lady-parts before God saw them in their birthday suits. (They must've forgotten God has X-ray vision and is omniscient).

 I can relate this experience to me at my home, chilling while nude. First, I'm really comfy, just got out of the shower, enjoying the air on my skin and feeling so rebellious sans clothes. Then, a knock at the door (gasp). Quick check thru the window to see who it is--my father in law! Oh, GREAT! I scrambled to put on something, anything, before he accidentally saw me in my natural form. I ended up donning a button down shirt and some of michael's shorts, which probably sent the same message as being naked would've, but the point is, I was ashamed.

It was at that point that I decided it shouldn't be shameful to be naked. It shouldn't be rude to be nude! (Dang, that was good.) Don't be embarrassed when you're bare-assed! If you show your friends pictures of your naked babies and say "How cute", if you watch pornography, if you have ever gone skinny-dipping, then you agree with me without realizing it.

I'm just going to come right out and say it: there is no reason to not be naked for at least an hour a day. You can even count your shower, unless you're a never-nude. If any of you are familiar with the show Arrested Development, you'll remember Tobias and his secret condition: he was a "Never-nude", which means he was literally never nude, not even for bathing. A permanent pair of Daisy Dukes were attached to his body. Weird point to end on, but I like it that way.

Dehbruh

Job hunting: I know there's one out there somewhere...

Today I went "job hunting", or more realistically, I browsed Craigslist for 4 hours. You're probably thinking, 4 hours is a long time. Who would ever want to spend 4 hours online, looking at post after post of potential job opportunities that all seem to be *~Fake Promises of Making 1,000 bucks a day~* or total dummies looking for more dummies to join their dumb crew? Well, that person is me. The person who would want to do that, I mean. And after all that, I ended up with one (1) job lead.

I like to think of all applications as a challenge. They don't think I will fill out that application unless I am totally qualified for the job and think I can handle the responsibilities. Oh-ho-ho, are they wrong. I will fill out any application I can get my hands on, more because the blank spaces with easy questions like "Name?" and "Date of birth?" tempt me so much I can't resist. But also because there is a chance, however small, that I might be that lucky person who turns in an application and just gets hired because the manager is too stressed or apathetic to care who works there.

Think of this scenario.

At a successful business, the manager is having a stressful day. Like, really stressful. His kid is suspended from school for having a hit list, he forgot to pack a lunch, and his tire went flat on the way to work. Okay, so imagine this guy (or girl) is supposed to be in charge of hiring the new assistant at the office. He could obviously care less about this new employee, who they are, or when the last time they bathed is. My application, thoughtlessly filled out and sitting so prominently right on top of the stack, catches his eye in the middle of him banging his head repeatedly on the desk. He stops and picks it up. No felonies...no weird past jobs...a female...aww, hell. I'll hire her. She seems nice enough. She deserves $80,000 a year.
Maybe it's unlikely, but it could happen. I'm just waiting for it.

So this single job lead I ended up with would work nicely for the summer. I would be working 15-20 hours a week. My daughter would stay home with Michael or my mother-in-law while I worked. And it would give me a chance to get out of the house and make some money (feel worthy again). I'm waiting to hear back from the owner of the business, so I hope she doesn't read this and decide I'm an unfit employee. Thank God my blog isn't popular.

It would be REALLY nice to get paid for writing this. So if any of you have extra money lying around (especially the kind from the commericials with the eyes and the "Somebody's Watchin' Me" music), feel free to literally throw it at me. You don't even have to say it's for my blog.

Deb

I guess this is growing up.

As a child, I used to wonder what it would feel like to be a grown-up. I imagined there was a specific day or time that I would become an adult and that the change would be obvious to me and everyone around me.

What I've found in my brief 21 years is that growing up is not an event, but a process. I've also realized that others your age don't always mature along with you, and sometimes people don't notice when you've done a little internal "maturing."

It is hard for me to find friends that can relate to my situation. A lot of friends I used to be close with are now more like acquaintances. One of my closest friends and I recently reconnected and I've noticed that we get along so well now. I wonder if that is because now she is engaged and we have more common ground, understanding what it's like to be a young woman who has promised herself to one man. I know that can be hard for some of my single friends to get.

Back to people not noticing the maturing you may have done--in the past, I wasn't a great friend. I wasn't always nice to people I thought I was better than or smarter than. I was, in short, a bia-bia. While it could be argued that some of my bitch-characteristics still remain (road rage, the evil eye, etc), I know that I have made incredible progress with my attitude. I have begun to learn the fine art of "letting it be" and not needing to speak my opinion in every situation. It can hurt me to find out that some people from my past still think of me negatively or assume I never changed. Even worse when someone tries to use a past action of mine as a way to demean the person I am today.

Above all else, things just don't get to me the way they used to. No longer do I want to throw the hamburger at the Wendy's employee when they put pickles on it (yes, I did) or stare down a girl I don't like when I see her at WalMart. In the past, I thought it was honorable to always be yourself and show every emotion you felt.

Now that I'm growing up, I realize that excessive negativity is unattractive, consuming, and unproductive.  It's also a cycle. One negative thought (she shouldn't be wearing those shorts in public!) leads to another (And she must really need attention if she wears that low cut top) and another (I bet she's trashy and has 6 kids with different fathers). I'm definitely not saying I'm a saint. I just try to be aware of what comes out of my mouth, because things that seem harmless enough to say can come back and bite you. It's important for me to try and be a good role model for my daughter, because negativity fosters more negativity. If she hears me complaining all the time about my weight, friends, or long lines, I can expect the same behavior from her.

I sat down to write this blog and wasn't sure what I would write about. I guess this issue has really been on my mind lately. Sorry there wasn't any humor, and definitely no recipes, but maybe you know Debra a little better now.

:)
Deb