Americans consume massive amounts of junk food for many reasons. Junk food tastes good. For many working families it saves time on meal preparation.  There is a temptation on almost every corner and some people do not have the will power to drive by the fast food restaurants and not buy something.  Junk food is cheap.  Some people just don't know what foods they should be eating.  Some people were raised eating junk food so they continue to eat that way.  

Stealing?

I thought there was only one way to define stealing.  Taking something that doesn't belong to you.  A friend views it differently.  The cashier yesterday gave me to much change.  When I returned it, my friend looked at me as if I had lost my mind.  They asked me why I gave the money back.  I told them I couldn't keep it because it was stealing.  They said it was the cashier's mistake and I should have kept it.  When I talked to other friends and family members I got mixed reactions.  Some said I should have kept it and others said I did the right thing.  How we define stealing has a lot to do with how we are raised, I guess.  I was surprised that my friend told me to keep the money because they had a strict Baptist up-bringing.  I thought they would have the same view about it as I did.  I was not raised in a home with religion but my parents had firm views about what they believed was right and wrong.  What I call stealing my friend believes it is just profiting off of someone elses' mistake. 
     

Should prostitution be legalized?

What makes prostitution illegal?  In today's society both men and women have multiple partners.  The only difference is the exchange of money.  Some say that making prostitution legal would only promote the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, but a promiscuous lifestyle does the same thing.  Prostitution has been around as long as mankind.  Women could not find many jobs outside the home in the early days.  Many turned to that profession to care for themselves and their children if they were left with no husband.  Women turn to it today for the same reasons.  Is it morally wrong, that is a matter of opinion.  Should it be illegal, I don't think so.  What someone else chooses to do is their own business. 

Do television programs provide a realistic picture of life in America?

American television does not depict a realistic view of life here.  Most television shows are about rich or middle class individuals when in reality America has more lower income families.  Shows that portray interracial or homosexual couples are not common, but that lifestyle is.  There are many shows that represent American teenagers as promiscuous but that is an unfair image.  Not all teenagers behave that way.  If a foreigner was watching American television to get an idea of what life was like here he would have an unrealistic view.   I believe that he would think we were immoral, not tolerant of alternative lifestyles and poverty was not a problem here.  America needs more shows that give a practical depiction of the common individual. 

If I could live life as an animal, I would be an eagle.

If I had to live life as an animal I would be an eagle.  I could soar above trees and mountains.  I would be able to travel anywhere.  Rivers and lakes would not get in my way.  I could reach my destination in a third of the time it would take an animal on the land.  I associate freedom with flying.  Freedom of spirit and the restraint of gravity.  Furthermore, the eagle is a beautiful animal.  It is majestic, with its white helmet of feathers.  The eagle is a fierce and stealthy predator.  Characteristics that only add to its elegance.  Beautiful, strong and free, I could not imagine any other animal I would aspire to be.    

Heredity or Environment, Which Has a Greater Effect on a Person

Heredity and environment have an equal effect on a person.  Heredity can effect everything from the food you eat, to the holidays you celebrate, your morals and your beliefs.  Environment  has an equal impact.  The environment effects your behavior.  The way you dress and the activities you participate in, the way you behave in social situations can be shaped by your environment.  Most people want to do what is socially acceptable.  Furthermore, your personality and abilities are shaped by both.  Whether you are athletic or are artistically gifted depends on the traits you were born with as well as the experiences you were exposed to.  It can not be all of one and not the other.

Automobiles, Good or Bad

Has the automobile been harmful to our society?  The invention of the automobile has benefited and harmed our society.  It had a dramatic impact on the lives of everyone from the common farmer to the wealthy business man but it also polluted the planet.  Do the benefits out way the negative effects?

What are the positive aspects of the automobile?  It cut down travel time.  If you wanted to go on vacation or deliver your produce to the market it now took half the time.  The invention of the automobile led to other inventions, like the tractor. 

The negative impact has been on the planet.  The pollution caused by the automobile ruins the air quality especially in large cities.  Although there are ways to recycle used parts from cars the rest of it sits in dumps.  The drilling and transportation of the oil used in automobiles has lead to oil spills that have killed animals and polluted our oceans.  Even though scientists are trying to figure out new ways to power the automobiles it may be to late.  

Father Time, You Evil Man

Father Time, why are you always picking on me?  Today I found a wrinkle and last week a gray hair.  I know that it was you that forced gravity to do horrible things to my body.  Everything is sagging.  You even whisper nasty things in my children's ears.  Where else would they get such mean things to say?  They tell me, "Mommy you are old."  My favorite is when they ask me, "Mommy are you going to die soon?  That is what old people do when they get old."  Well sir you can throw all the punches that you like, I don't plan on going down without a fight!

Tomorrow when I wake up I am going to exercise to combat gravity.  Furthermore, I am going to color my hair and buy creams for the wrinkles.  I am going to ignore the comments from my children.  Oh, that birthday that is coming up next month, I think I'm just going to skip it.  No matter what you do I will not give up.  I plan to grow old on my terms, not yours.

Mother of multiples

My life as a mother of multiples is very demanding and rewarding.  I learned quickly that the only way I was going to survive being the mother of triplets was to set a schedule and stick to it.  We woke up, ate our meals, took naps and went to bed at the same time everyday.  Each child had different problems because they were eight weeks premature. That only added to our already hectic schedule.  We had every therapist you could think of coming to our house to work with them.  The first three years of their lives were doctors appointments and therapy visits. 
Although those first few years were filled with stress and sleepless nights they were worth it.  Each child has their own personality.  Cameron is kind and thoughtful young man who loves to help me around the house.  Dylan is shy, quiet and very intelligent.  Taylor is a very talkative little girl who loves to be the spokeswoman of the group.  Together they bring laughter and love into my life.    

The first week of school.

The first week of school has been exciting and challenging.  After six years of being a stay at home mom to five children I was looking forward to this new chapter in my life.  I could not wait to be surrounded by my peers.  I wanted to engage in adult conversations and find friends my own age.  The excitement soon wore off when one student asked me why I was coming back to school at my age and another asked me if I was an instructor.  Although, I am not the oldest student here I am certainly one of them.  I realized that it would be harder than I thought to relate to some of these students.  To make things even more difficult, it has been over a decade since I graduated high school.  It is true that if you don't use what you are taught you lose it.  When the homework started to stack up I began to wonder if I was in over my head.  Even though this week has been hectic, I am still enthusiastic about my decision to go back to school.  I am looking forward to this journey and all the rewards waiting for me at the end.