Guilty Pleasures

Last week I linked up with Stasha’s Monday Listicles for a list of “10 Things That Make My Life Easier and Oh-So-Much-Better.”  I had so much fun coming up with the list that I’m going back for more Monday Listicles this week.  The topic is 10 Guilty Pleasures, courtesy of Miss Marini Star, but I put my own unique Random Reflectionz twist on it.  Half the list is comprised of my guilty pleasures; the other half includes things for which we should not feel guilty despite what society, politicians, friends, colleagues, other parents, our own parents, our own kids, and the media tell us.

My Guilty Pleasures

1. US Weekly.  What is it about reading up on the latest celebrity hookups, breakups, weight gains weight losses, fashion advice, and fashion missteps that help me keep perspective in my own chaotic life?   Maybe it’s the realization that I wouldn’t change my life for a Hollywood life of fame for anything.
2. Butter spray.  I am officially addicted to butter spray.  I pour, rarely spray.  I put it on just about everything, including sometimes pouring it into cereal instead of milk.
3. “Glee.” Who doesn’t wish they had a soundtrack constantly running in the background of their lives or wish they could break into song for no reason?
4. Cookie dough. Along with brownie batter, cake batter, and basically any uncooked baked good that carries the risk of causing salmonella poisoning.
5. Naps.  There is nothing better than a mid-afternoon, in bed, under the covers, door closed nap to restore the soul.

Things That We Should Not Feel Guilty For

1. Proactive health care.  There is much debate surrounding whether the proposed contraceptive mandate that would require all employers to provide health insurance to their employees that covers contraceptives, such as the birth control pill.  Religious organizations have blasted the law as a violation of their constitutional rights.  I will avoid (in this post, at least) embarking on my soapbox diatribe about all of the ways in which these arguments fail, except to say that we should never feel guilty about engaging in proactive health care, including maintaining control over our reproductive rights through adequate access to contraceptives.
2. Being a little selfish now and then.  We all need to be a little selfish now and then in the sake of the greater good.  Whether that means spending a little extra cash on a sitter every now and then so that you can enjoy a night out with your spouse, or watching basketball on TV instead of one more episode of the “Fresh Beat Band,” or taking a personal day off of work “just because.” Remember, when the plane is going down, we need to put on our own air masks before putting on those of others.
3. Love regardless of sexual orientation.  Love – true love, abiding love, faithful love – is preciously rare these days.  We have all heard the statistics about the high percentage of failed relationships and the alarmingly high amount of infidelity so I won’t regurgitate all of the facts for you here.  But one thing that a person should never, ever feel guilty about is love.  Finding love – authentic, unconditional love – is hard enough to find, but committed love is even harder to maintain.  So all love – whether it is with someone of the same sex or the opposite sex – should be celebrated and supported to the fullest extent.
4. Being true to yourself.  As a parent, I am constantly barraged with advice and suggestions about what I should be doing and should not be doing, all under the guise of love for your child.  To which I call “shenanigans.”  All of the so-called “advice” is not meant to help the person to whom it is given, but rather to assuage some underlying insecurities felt by the person giving said advice.  There is only one right way to live your life and that is in the way that makes sense for you.  We can only live our lives according to what makes sense for us  and that means being honest with ourselves so that we can be true to ourselves.
5. Naps.  You don’t have to take my word for it – research has shown that naps do, in fact, help to improve mood, alertness, and performance.  According to this article, even companies like Nike, Google, and Ben & Jerry’s are implementing workplace tools to facilitate employee power naps.  So, next time you feel like pulling a George Costanza and cozing up under your desk, don’t feel guilty.  Just tell your boss it is all for the sake of workplace productivity.