Let’s Talk About Sex

The topic of sex almost always incurs some sort of stigma. Whether it is being discussed among friends or strangers, sex is “bad”. But is it really?

Sex is whatever you make it out to be. That could mean that it is an emotional experience as well as a physical one, or it could mean that you and your partner are both doing it purely for the pleasure. However that cookie crumbles, your sex life is only the business of those people whose business you make it. For some, sex is intimate and special. For others, there is no emotional attachment whatsoever.

For how taboo of a subject sex is, it is a hot topic of conversation for almost everyone. I hear talk of sex on television, the radio, on the internet, and in real life conversation. Personally, sex comes up all the time in my group of friends. All of us are pretty comfortable talking about it. Even on a college campus, though, we’ve gotten some pretty nasty looks.

The way I see it, no matter your views on the meaning of sex, any person should be able to express themselves sexually however they please as long as those involved have consented and no one is being put into harm’s way. As long as everything that is being done is legal, there should be no judgement of another person’s sexual preferences. Sex is a beautiful, natural, amazing part of life; it should not be tarnished by expectations such as relationships, sexual orientations, or even how the overall experience is going to go.

On the other end of the spectrum, it is perfectly okay to not have any interest in sex until after marriage. Although most people talk about it, sex is not such a common occurrence. There are a good number of people who have the strength and the will power to “save themselves”, as I’ve heard it called, for one special person.

Your sexuality should be entirely your own. Just be safe, no matter what you do.

To Legalize or Not

The use of marijuana, for both medical and recreational use, is a huge topic for discussion in the United States right now. It has become an even hotter topic with the presidential election slowly creeping upon the country. Many states, such as California and Nevada, have placed a referendum on their states’ ballot. These states will vote directly on whether or not marijuana should be legalized for recreational use.

Marijuana, in the very least, should be legal for medicinal purposes. It helps those who are receiving chemotherapy treatment to combat cancer maintain at least some portion of their appetite. Medical marijuana also helps epileptics with their seizures.

I’m pretty sure that, at some point, most of us saw that video on Facebook of the boy whose seizure was stopped within seconds of being given cannabis oil. If my memory serves correctly, I am pretty sure that the boy’s father got into trouble for giving his son the oil. This was due to the fact that the substance was still illegal in their state. Shouldn’t we give those who really need it the ability to obtain cannabis oil? The oil does not get you high. It has very little, if any, side effects. It is a much better alternative than to continue to pump our bodies full of unnecessary chemicals.

The arguments to marijuana, especially recreational, are usually along the lines of not being able to regulate and tax it, people shouldn’t be allowed to get high in public, and drugs are addictive. However, Colorado and Washington state have figured out how to make things work. Colorado alone raked in a whopping one billion dollars for one year in tax revenue just from marijuana. Residents in both states are only allowed to smoke at home and specially designated places, much like alcohol. Also, marijuana contains no addictive components. Legal things, such as cigarettes and alcohol, are much more addictive than weed could ever even dream of being.

Should marijuana be legalized in all states for medicinal purposes? Yes, absolutely. We should, however, let the residents of the states decide whether or not marijuana should be legal for recreational purposes.

Best Friends

Having great friends and keeping good company is one of the most important things in life. That’s my opinion, anyway. Great friends always have your back, even if you’re wrong. They help you out if they really think you’re going down the wrong path.

I like to believe that I have some of the best friends that any person could ever ask for. We bicker an argue like we’re one big married group of women, but we all love each other deeply. Of course, we don’t always act this way.

We know how to poke fun at each other, get on each others’ nerves to the point where the other person might catch a straw to the eyeball, and just make each other mad.

Ashley (back of the picture) is my roommate. I had no idea this girl even existed before room assignments were released. I got pretty lucky with her. We’ve become extremely close in the very short time that we’ve lived together, and I know that I can count on her to have my back and help me out any time that I might need it.

LaShawn (right side of picture) and I are very similar. So much so that we, of course, bicker and argue the most. LaShawn and I are from around the same area, Northwest Georgia. However, we did not know each other until orientation during the summer. We immediately hit it off. Our personalities are very similar, even though she’ll never admit to it.

Last, but not least, is Emily. In the picture, she is the poking her head out in the middle ground. I know her through Ashley as they have been friends for years. She is honestly the nicest out of our friend group. I don’t think I have ever heard her say an unkind word about someone unsolicited.

All in all, these girls have helped me out in one way or another. I am so very lucky and proud to call them my best friends.