Grace's soap box

You know how I get my news? By reading the headlines on AOL. Sad isn't it. Of course the headline today is about leading issues and how you, the voter, feel about them; gay marriage, legalizing pot and smoking. Hold on while I get up on my soap box.... why is it a big issue if you marry someone of the same sex? Does being heterosexual and marrying someone who is also hetero mean your marriage will last any longer? be any stronger? does it mean you love each other more? No. You only go around once in this world, and if you are lucky enough to find true love, who cares what sex they are? Of course this question leads to gays adopting or raising children no, not that! Do you think they are going to sprinkle fairy dust on them and "make" the kids gay too? People are ignorant. I worked in CPS. Being hetro doesn't mean you will be a good parent either.
I don't have as strong feelings on the other 2 issues. Legalize pot. Take the drug dealer's profit out of it. Supply and demand. You don't see people hanging out on corners trying to buy alcohol. If it's readily available and legal, the cost goes down; you can get it anywhere. Let me clarify something here: I don't smoke it, and don't care about the convience to the pot smoker, but if y ou are that concerned as an employer: drug test at your company. Just because it's would be legal doesn't mean it's ok to do it...like alcohol, it's legal but it doesn't mean you can drink on the job.
Ok, onto the 3rd.
Smoking- the question is ' should smoking be banned in public'? You are asking the wrong person here; I am a reformed smoker and we are the worst! Yes it should be banned. I apologized to my friends for putting them thru having to deal with the smoke. I live in NY and you can't smoke in public ot bars or restaurants....except where there is not a paid employee; like a Legion or Elk lodge. I love it! We play cards on Mnday nights at a private club and I hate when we come out and I smell like smoke.

Onto a nice thought- for me anyways.
I have been 'searching' for something. It could be that my birthday is coming up in about a week and that always causes me to reflect back....it actually causes more depression about what I haven't accomplished. So back to this 'searching'....
I attend church regularly. I love to hear our priest speak; he is a wonderful speaker. I feel good after mass. I ask God to make me humble, a better person, not so judgemental. (In my line of work, I make judgements on people- are they lying to me) Some day we'll get more into that.
I always hope that nothing bad has to happen to me to make me humbler. So I try to look at people with different eyes. They say we should look for Jesus in everyone- let me tell you, he has on great disguises at times, but I can't see him in some people.
I feel that if I heard Fr. Tom speak everyday, I would have a better outlook. We went to a 'class' for 7 weeks and I felt wonderful while I was going. But I can't hear him speak everyday. I tried a scripture class last week, wasn't for me. I try to keep good thoughts.
I work for a human service agency and today I had a fellow who was homeless. He didn't want welfare, he wanted us to send him (bus ticket) to another area where he thought work would be plenty. All the way across the country. Due to regulations I couldn't do that (we are not a travel agency) but I actually felt for him and was about to give him $20 out of my pocket to get him as far as he could go- about an hour away. I eventually found another source for him, but was thinking 'hey Grace, you do have some compassion'. If I won the lottery, I would help so many people. It's hard when you see the abuses of the system not to be jaded, but I'm trying.