Identity Crisis

I'm having a bit of an identity crisis today.

I read about people who want smoking bans in my state, and I panic, for I am a smoker. I make comments like "Hey, there's no law against restaurants and bars being smoke-free, why don't you just go to them if you hate smoke so much". And I vacillate between feeling guilty and feeling like it's my right to feed my legal addiction when out for an evening's entertainment.

Health risk to myself and others! I'm not breaking any laws! I don't want to harm people! I don't want to give this stuff up! Conflicted Tami.

I read about Senator Biden telling Europe (in general, I guess, "Go, EU!") that they should stop whining and just deal with the fact that our President is our President, and will be until 2008. Part of me is horrified, because people should absolutely be allowed to express their opinions, but part of me sees the logic in the idea that if you don't just get past the complaining for a minute and work on something, no progress will be made. Another danger of this kind of thing is that by the time the changes that you've been screaming for are made, you're so used to not achieving anything that no one remembers how to get results. Sometimes, you have to work with what you've been handed, and hope that it gets better.

Free speech! Bad choices! Get something done! Conflicted Tami.

Finally, I am conflicted about my automobile choice. I was reading the latest over at Poetic Leanings, and he's talking about an old Doonesbury that was mocking SUV owners (and subtly mocking those who thought they could change SUV owners, as well). I love, love love my car/truck/SUV. It's a Ford Escape. It's high off the ground, so when I go through massive pond-like puddles (which happens more than you might think, living near where the canal meets the river) I don't worry about it, I go *over* them. It doesn't hurt my stupid arthritic hips and knees to get in and out. My goodness, I can fit all of my camping equipment in the back. Even when I go camping for a week or more and bring tons of stuff. It has a roof rack! It drives like a car!

Gas guzzler! Convenient and easy to drive! Ecologically unfriendly! Carries my stuff! Conflicted Tami.