My Accent

I wrote a post about Noah’s accent, but I have recently discovered that I too have an accent. It is not a certain regional accent; it’s my own weird accent. There is no dispute that I am a little weird, and definitely unique. I do occasionally do say fer instead of for or yer for your, which is a typical Indiana accent. I don’t say warsh, like my Grandma Rose did, who would jokingly correct herself in my presence.  My accent is something I only have.  Noah doesn’t do it, and I am not sure where it came from but it is pretty funny.  When I say certain words like anything with a short o sound it comes out like eu. So, movie is phonetically spelled meuvie, move is phonetically spelled meuve for example.  I also do the same thing with the double oo sound.  Not everyone notices it, because I asked them if I talk funny. They said they never noticed it. Now I am being lovingly teased about it.  Now I am constantly listening to the way I talk, before I didn’t even notice I did it.

Do you have a weird unique accent? I look forward to hearing about it.

I Have Never Had a Real Credit Card

I have a rule where I don’t really like talking about finances with friends because it seems to cause problems sometimes. I have on occasion talked about it with a few close friends; they talk about their money problems and their debts. I am going to tell you something that will shock you; I am thirty years old and never have had an actual credit card. I wasn’t someone who when they turned 18 they mailed in every credit card offer they were mailed.  I am not going to say I am debt free because I am not. I have some unpaid medical bills from the time I had to take Noah to the ER because he stuck pieces of the inside of a diaper up his nose and didn’t have insurance. It was one of those situations where the hospital and poison control were telling me to rush him to the emergency room, and I didn’t want to chance something happening to my little boy, so we went.  I have other things that put me in debt, but it could be a lot worse.  I know that a lot of people are in debt, especially with the horrible economy.  Sometimes people have to rely on their credit cards to make ends meet.  Sometimes others use their credit cards on big ticket items like TV’s and tablets and they have to look in to contacting a debt management company, to help them get back on track.

I can’t say that I am the best when it comes to money though. I did a long time ago have some trouble with bounced checks… I was young and stupid. I thought the money would hit the bank before the check cleared and my calculations were wrong a couple times. I promptly paid the checks and the fees, but it was a hard lesson to learn. It’s really easy when you are 18 to end up having money problems because you are young. It’s not surprise why people use debt relief programs to help get out of debt.  I know that they do help people reduce the money they owe considerably.  I think that besides the checks and the little debt I am in, that I am in good shape, especially compared to other people my own age.

Let's Talk about Peer Pressure

I have been thinking a lot about peer pressure lately. It something we deal with from when we are little all through school.  We feel peer pressure when we are younger, to try drinking, smoke cigarettes, do drugs and even have sex. We also even felt pressure about the friends we had, and who we wanted to be in a relationship with.  People have missed out on great friends because of peer pressure. I am sure we all have been under that type of peer pressure and cracked and gave in. I know I have. It is normal to experience peer pressure and have the urge to fit in. I think that it is important to remember that the peer pressure you feel cannot be a good thing. You don’t gain anything valuable from it. It can ruin your life or hurt someone very deeply. You should make your own choices and go with what you believe is right.

I believe that there are still peer pressures as an adult. I used to think that when I was no longer in school that it would go away. I haven’t personally really felt too much peer pressure from my friends. Maybe on occasion when it comes to who I am friends with, I strongly believe that everyone has a choice who to be friends with, unless they are just a horrible person.  Even then you make the choice to not be around your friend’s friend. You should still be friends with your friend because of your own reasons. I wouldn’t suggest if the person is a criminal or does other questionable things that you should engage in that behavior. I will be writing a post about a girl I once considered a friend and possible warning signs of what is not OK in my opinion. I am no longer friends with the so-called friends that pressured me about who I was friends with.  I no longer feel peer pressure to do drugs or drink, I am not a drug addict so it is not a desire of mine at all. When I go out with friends, I don’t feel like I have to keep up with them buy drinking an insane amount of alcohol, because it is not my style.

I think that it is important to talk to your children about peer pressure and the dangers of those things. I was watching Boy Meets World and they were talking about peer pressure in an episode. I am sure your kids will say that they will never drink or do drugs, but when you are faced with it, and wanting to fit in, saying no might not be that easy.  Honesty is important when you are talking to your children about those serious topics. I am not saying they need to know about everything but if you open up to them, they will open up to you.  Spend some time explaining why you think that it is a bad idea. Open communication is extremely important.  I know I have said this before and I am sure I will say it again at least five more times, but I highly recommend you watch the movie Requiem for a Dream with your teenage child. It shows the real life consequences of drugs, sex, and addiction. It is not a movie that makes drugs look like fun or look cool. I know that everyone parents differently, but that is just what I think would work best in my family.

Do you still feel peer pressure as an adult?