Trying to Have a Baby

One thing I always find a bit interesting is when a married couple tells people, "We are trying to have a baby." In no other context do I encounter people openly proclaiming, "We are having a lot of sex." It's not the worst when attractive people say it, but when you get two ugly people, the mental picture can be disturbing. Can't you just say something like, "We'd like to have a baby"? I guess the thing that perplexes me so much is imagining myself saying it to people. I don't know if it becomes normal when you are married, but I will never tell my parents that I am having sex. As far as I'm concerned, I don't want to tell them about my sex life, and I'm sure they don't want to listen to me telling them about my sex life. And it might be a little awkward for my hypothetical wife, just like when she tells her parents, and her father thinks, "this jackass is screwing my daughter." Although I am sure my future father-in-law will think better of me. Probably. So when (maybe more of an "if" at this junction) I am married, you will never hear me tell you "We're trying for a baby." I'll just let you know when she is pregnant.

Drugs

I haven't written in this place for quite some time, so I thought I would revisit with some new doses of word. I guess I can talk about some things going on in my life right now. I have been tearing through books. Last week I read Artie Lange's book Too Fat to Fish. I liked it, but it was not what I expected. I expected funny; I read sad. That guy has been through some tough shit. But the whole thing left me a bit unsympathetic for him. The guy had repeated problems with drugs and things, and I understand that. It's really a tough position drug addicts put people in. How the hell can you stand there and watch someone completely destroy him or herself without being destroyed yourself. Then, inevitably, the person comes to you for help, and it is impossible to say no to a loved one. Fortunately I have never been in a position where a loved one needs this type of help, and although I have some big drinkers in my family, nobody has ever gotten really bad. But if I did, I think I would help that person, but only if he or she gave up whatever drug was the problem. Probably easier said than done, obviously, but from everything I have seen and read and experienced, the only time one can really kick a habit is if the desire comes from an internal place. Few people quit crack (I have no stats to back this up, but I assume it is true) because of court orders or family cutting them off. Usually, I think you have to hit rock bottom to feel the need to give up something. You need to lift your head up from something bad and say, "Wow. My life sucks. SUCKS. I need to stop this." When the inspiration stems from the inner self, and does not lie rooted in an external patch, the will to stop becomes more powerful. And the likelihood to succeed improves.