The idea of defending my vice is extraordinarily interesting. That, in and of itself, implies that I believe I have a vice. If you have a vice, you should stop. It's that simple. If you don't consider it a vice, then you should carry on with it. Simply because someone else tells you it is a vice does not make it so! To prove my point, and the fact that I have no real vices, let us take a look at the 7 deadly sins: Gluttony, Lust, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Greed, and Pride.

Gluttony:
I enjoy drinking, but it is not a vice for me. Some people would consider the glass of wine with dinner terrible and a vice, but as I am not a drunkard, it is not a vice. It is simply something I enjoy. This is a prime example of how one man's vice, is not another man's, unless he is a drunk, and then he should seek help.

I also enjoy dessert. Perhaps more than I should, but as it doesn't bother me, and no one gets hurt when I eat a cookie, I don't really consider it a vice. While I am not at my ideal weight (not that I am fat, just not what I would like to be, it's a female thing) it isn't really a vice. Again, it is not a guilty pleasure. I don't dream of dessert at night or hide my eating habits from anyone. No one can look down their nose at me and sniff, like it is a vice.

I also enjoy the occasional cigarette while drinking. Whoa! Hold up before your finger wagging starts! What is it that makes people say smoking is a vice? It is bad for your health, right. My city has made that null and void because there is no longer indoor smoking, and if you are outside or in a smoking club with the smokers, you are fully aware and fine with it. And, as I am not addicted, it is not a vice either. It is when you have no money, but you have to have that nicotine fix, that it becomes a vice. Since my intake is maybe once per month, no vice here!

Lust:
I am in a monogamous relationship with my husband; ergo, any sex with have can in no way be vice-like. Quite the opposite, it can only serve to release endorphins making for a happier and more peaceful marriage, which is always a good thing. So any lust in our relationship is healthy! Since I don't lust after anyone else, I'm golden.

Sloth:
I'm borderline vice-y on the sloth-ness. I say borderline because I can be both extremely lazy and extremely productive. At this moment, there is a pile of dishes in my sink, but I am blogging instead. Some might consider that or watching a movie, or reading a book, rather than cleaning sloth, but for me it isn't. Why? Because I go to school (college) full time, work 30-35 hours per week, and help my husband run our business. Since most of my days are jam-packed and productive, when I get a spare moment to relax, it is difficult not to 'sloth' around. In my case, it is called relaxing...

Wrath:
I used to be a very angry person. My sisters would walk in the room and I would explode. Part of my name means 'quick to anger.' As I have grown, and matured, I have mellowed out a lot. While I still have my occasional blow-ups, I am much better now. The only times I get really explosive are when my stress levels go through the roof, and I typically try to mellow out long before that happens. Luckily, when I am angry, I just rant and rave, and my husband is able to calm me down. It's when people are mentally or physically abusive that wrath becomes a problem.

A kid at the animal shelter has serious wrath issues. He will almost have his community service hours done, and then he will get in another fight with a kid from his school over something super stupid. I feel bad for the kid. He reminds me of James Dean in Rebel Without A Cause. Not because he looks like James Dean, but because he has a lot of same anger issues.

Envy:
As a female, I struggle with envy sometimes, who doesn't? When I do, all I have to do is look around me and I start to feel better. The old "count your blessings" adage that your grandma says really does make a difference! If you are envious your life goes to pot and you become a cranky, crabby person. If, on the other hand, you apply the crayon principle your life can be great. It goes like this: You are a box of 8 crayons and you see someone next to you who is a box of 64 crayons. You have two choices, you can wish you make cerulean blue and be upset with your life and miserable, or you can shrug and make beautiful drawings with your 8 crayons. In life, it isn't always about how many crayons you have, but what you do with those crayons!

Greed:
You can basically place greed and envy together... Luckily I have a ton of ambition without the greed. It's okay to want things, as long as you are willing to work toward them. It is when you simply want and expect them that you get into trouble. That's why more people would be happier if they were willing to work harder to get what they wanted.

Pride:
Not enough people have pride. It is a sad fact. I'm not talking false pride where you think you are a better than a bag of chips, but pride in yourself. It's also called self-confidence. Ayn Rand style. It's knowing your worth, being proud of it, and refusing to let anyone look down on you for your assets. This is for all the kids in school who get made fun of for being smart, don't bow your hide and stop answering questions, be proud of your intelligence, it is a great gift.