I encountered two bizarre situations today

[The Blackangel]

16 hours ago, kingpotato said:

Yeah its not a rare sight, but isnt it counterproductive that he is going on a hike to better his health and the end of it he stops for a smoke? I mean its ironic , its like eating the whole dollar menu at mcdonalds but only having a diet coke.

Who says he's doing it to better his health? I always did it just because I enjoyed it, and never even had a single thought about it affecting my health. That could be his reasoning for supposedly going on a hike. He could also have been out there waiting to pick someone up. There's a million variables that could be the answer. Even if you see him walking off the path, if he was picking someone up, he may have just walked 20-30 meters down to see if he could see whoever it was that he was there for.

Unless he was wearing a chicken costume, there's too many variables to me.

[Heatman]

19 hours ago, The Blackangel said:

Who says he's doing it to better his health? I always did it just because I enjoyed it, and never even had a single thought about it affecting my health. That could be his reasoning for supposedly going on a hike. He could also have been out there waiting to pick someone up. There's a million variables that could be the answer. Even if you see him walking off the path, if he was picking someone up, he may have just walked 20-30 meters down to see if he could see whoever it was that he was there for.

Unless he was wearing a chicken costume, there's too many variables to me.

It's the chicken costume that really got me cracking up hard down here. It's really very funny!!

 

[Boblee]

On 1/16/2022 at 10:00 PM, The Blackangel said:

Addiction is a bitch. He was probably having a few during his hike. I've seen hiking trails with butts all along them. It's not an unheard of thing. He's a smoker. Just because he possibly went on a hike, doesn't mean he quit smoking during the hike.

It's why addiction can't really be dropped that easily even when one is well aware of how it affects them negatively, they still can't quit it. I have a friend who's a chain smoker, he's already feeling the effects on his system but still can't stop. 

[Heatman]

13 hours ago, Boblee said:

It's why addiction can't really be dropped that easily even when one is well aware of how it affects them negatively, they still can't quit it. I have a friend who's a chain smoker, he's already feeling the effects on his system but still can't stop. 

It's just like what goes on with those who are very much addicted to playing video games. They can't really help themselves even when it's no longer good for them. 

[Boblee]

1 hour ago, Heatman said:

It's just like what goes on with those who are very much addicted to playing video games. They can't really help themselves even when it's no longer good for them. 

Exactly, more like when one's having diminishing returns in what he or she plays but is still forcing the play like his or her life depends on it. 

[The Blackangel]

I'm a former addict, and adding the time I was using and the time it took to get clean, there's 4 years of my life that I only get bits and pieces of on a rare occasion. Other than that, it's a complete blank. Fighting the urge to use again, is a never ending uphill battle at a near vertical incline. We're like ants pushing boulders the size of the moon up hills the size of the solar system. I could go out right now and pick up a gram or two. I know where to get it, and who the pharmacists are. There's several in my former neighborhood. MS-13 moved a lot of it in when I was living over there. When my next door neighbor had a bullet fly through her wall one night, that was when I decided it was time to move.

[Boblee]

6 minutes ago, The Blackangel said:

I'm a former addict, and adding the time I was using and the time it took to get clean, there's 4 years of my life that I only get bits and pieces of on a rare occasion. Other than that, it's a complete blank. Fighting the urge to use again, is a never ending uphill battle at a near vertical incline. We're like ants pushing boulders the size of the moon up hills the size of the solar system. I could go out right now and pick up a gram or two. I know where to get it, and who the pharmacists are. There's several in my former neighborhood. MS-13 moved a lot of it in when I was living over there. When my next door neighbor had a bullet fly through her wall one night, that was when I decided it was time to move.

Some people are of the opinion that some addiction are spiritually inclined or forced which makes it very difficult to stop and get clean unless it's handled spiritually, it never stops. What's your take on that? 

[The Blackangel]

25 minutes ago, Boblee said:

Some people are of the opinion that some addiction are spiritually inclined or forced which makes it very difficult to stop and get clean unless it's handled spiritually, it never stops. What's your take on that? 

That's like praying away AIDS. It's pure bullshit.

[Boblee]

2 minutes ago, The Blackangel said:

That's like praying away AIDS. It's pure bullshit.

Haha, seriously there is nothing people wouldn't be sold all in the name of religion!!!

 

[Reality vs Adventure]

35 minutes ago, Boblee said:

Some people are of the opinion that some addiction are spiritually inclined or forced which makes it very difficult to stop and get clean unless it's handled spiritually, it never stops. What's your take on that? 

The 12 steps in Alcoholics Anonymous are spiritual principles. It gives guidance and humility in a powerless situation. You really can't change your life without embracing spirituality and that has nothing to do with organized religion, although some may even embrace it. Spirituality to me is the energies of nature. 

 

[Boblee]

21 minutes ago, Reality vs Adventure said:

The 12 steps in Alcoholics Anonymous are spiritual principles. It gives guidance and humility in a powerless situation. You really can't change your life without embracing spirituality and that has nothing to do with organized religion, although some may even embrace it. Spirituality to me is the energies of nature. 

 

Organized religion? Which means that there is unorganized religion from the looks of it? I need to be tutored more on the subject!! 

[The Blackangel]

Organized religion typically refers to religions like Judaism, Islam, and Xtianity. Religions that are rigid and exclusive to all others. "Unorganized" religion isn't an actual term. But for the sake of argument, we'll say it is. It would refer to religions that aren't major powerhouses and are more widely spread without any hierarchy or "headquarters" (think Vatican for Catholicism) of any kind. Buddhism is a good example of an "unorganized" religion. Satanism is another one. We're all over, but we don't advertise ourselves. Organized religion does advertise itself. Xtianity does anyway. But I found a way to keep the converters away.

[Reality vs Adventure]

1 minute ago, Boblee said:

Organized religion? Which means that there is unorganized religion from the looks of it? I need to be tutored more on the subject!! 

That's because some people can be agnostic or just simply believe in a deity without being a part of something organized. Alcoholics usually go through that agnostic stage because what happens when they stop drinking is really life changing in every way and you get back life and eat better, which the body and mind has been severely deprived from. And even then many times they further reach out to religion and those people are more genuine in their spirituality than someone born into it. 

[The Blackangel]

38 minutes ago, Reality vs Adventure said:

The 12 steps in Alcoholics Anonymous are spiritual principles. It gives guidance and humility in a powerless situation. You really can't change your life without embracing spirituality and that has nothing to do with organized religion, although some may even embrace it. Spirituality to me is the energies of nature.

I've tried 12 step programs, and absolutely hate them. If it works for you, then more power to you. But it's something I personally don't have the ability to tolerate.

[Boblee]

3 minutes ago, The Blackangel said:

Organized religion typically refers to religions like Judaism, Islam, and Xtianity. Religions that are rigid and exclusive to all others. "Unorganized" religion isn't an actual term. But for the sake of argument, we'll say it is. It would refer to religions that aren't major powerhouses and are more widely spread without any hierarchy or "headquarters" (think Vatican for Catholicism) of any kind. Buddhism is a good example of an "unorganized" religion. Satanism is another one. We're all over, but we don't advertise ourselves. Organized religion does advertise itself. Xtianity does anyway. But I found a way to keep the converters away.

Thanks for the explanation but forgive my further poking where does an atheist fall amongst all these? 

 

4 minutes ago, Reality vs Adventure said:

That's because some people can be agnostic or just simply believe in a deity without being a part of something organized. Alcoholics usually go through that agnostic stage because what happens when they stop drinking is really life changing in every way and you get back life and eat better, which the body and mind has been severely deprived from. And even then many times they further reach out to religion and those people are more genuine in their spirituality than someone born into it. 

That's very interesting. My eyes have been opened to things in a way I never saw them before.