Abuse of Emotions.

Sometimes when you talk with bartenders, you have the most fascinating conversations with them; in particular when the night is slow. I was in the East Village last night at Lunasa and a bartender named Kenny told me that we abuse our emotions. I didn't quite get it initially until he broke it down...and it was pure genius.

It's all good to be happy, sad, angry, etc. But it does seem as if we get so to the most minute things:

Being happy: It's one thing to be so. It's another to tell everybody about it. The two worst examples that I personally can think of is when someone is in a relationship or when someone just has a child. I read a status on Facebook the other day of a girl who writes that she loves her boyfriend and wants everyone to know. Yes it's cute but you can keep it between the two of yall; frankly very few others are gonna care. It's annoying as fuck. Then Kenny uses an example with someone who has a newborn child "Isn't he the cutest thing you ever seen?" What are we gonna say? No one is gonna say no. It's obviously a great feeling if say you got a job, got engaged/married, have a kid, etc. But to broadcast every little thing that makes you happy? Do you need that much love in the heart of the city?

Being upset/sad/angry: If someone close to you dies, yes you're naturally gonna be upset. Someone hurts you emotionally, you're not gonna be pleased. But it does appear we get upset over trivial things more often than not. We've learned to take everything for granted. "Cell phone is broken FML WHATEVER WILL I DO??" Technology has become something that we have learned that we cannot live without. Take the people of Haiti for example, especially in and around Port-Au-Prince. Most of them still don't have roofs over their heads and a hurricane may hit there by the end of the week. Now that's a reason to be upset/angry/sad. But crying because someone called you fat, KNOCK IT OFF. Wanting to "cut a dude's balls off because he cheated on you" bitch please, stop being so selfish and just move on to the next one. Easier said than done? Perhaps. But learn to keep your emotions in check.

Play on words: Some words in society are offensive as fuck there's no question. But for people to butt into conversations and say that they find a word offensive, sit your ass down. Unless it's directed towards you and you alone, you have no right to bitch and moan. If I tell a story and call someone a cunt in it, the word itself isn't offensive. A fuckin cunt? No difference. A bitch-made ass super-sized motherfucker god damn cunt? Still the same shit. People want us to say whatever is on our mind but the second we do they want to shut us up. WHICH ONE IS IT THEN??

Worst quote ever: "I want a strong yet sensitive man." A fuckin oxymoron. You say you want a man that is emotionless but yet can cry at a drop of a hat? What I miss?? I need the ladies to explain this quote to me.

America is an over-indulgent society. We drink to excess, smoke marijuana to excess (and not even know if what we're smokin is natural), eat to excess...and yes we are entirely too emotional. It's not needed to attach emotion to every single little thing. And so on.

Your Relationships vs. Your Money.

What sparked this topic was a question one of my girl friends asked me last week. Our schedules conflict and she wishes she could see me more often, but I have my work obligations to fulfill. She wanted me to take a day off for Halloween weekend and I told her that even though I'd love to, I can't pass up on making that cheddar.

Your relationships with your friends and family are obviously important. In a perfect world, that's all we would really have to worry about. With the way people's work schedules are nowadays; it leaves us precious little time for others, much less yourself. Face-to-face interaction has been decreased and really the only way I for example communicate with people often now is through digital means. However; one cannot afford to compromise their work schedule just to accommodate people. Don't get it twisted, my job I can technically make my own hours/own schedule but I need to be realistic. I make the most money on weekends. Am I gonna necessarily take a Saturday night off just to hang out with people if it's not a special occasion? No. If I hit up people to try and hang out on a Monday night at 9pm in the city to grab drinks and they have work the next morning, are they gonna come out? Most likely not, unless THEIR schedule allows for it. Your most meaningful relationships are with people who respect your schedule (and of course you overall).

Now to the question- what's more important, relationships or money? Long story short, what's one of the top things that strains relationships? Money (or the lack of it). Without having money to support yourself, how are you gonna be able to go out & have a good time with your friends? People that view it on the opposite side of the spectrum have a point. You can have all the money in the world but no one can travel the world alone for an extended period of time and feel whole. The thing is though, relationships come and go over time. The one constant is you and how you can sustain in the world..with money.

Not saying that I don't feel bad when people ask me out and I repeatedly tell them that I can't (and it's probably gotten to the point where people won't bother asking anymore) because I do. But your money is that, yours. You can't compromise it for other people unless you don't mind compromising yourself. And so on.