Hugs are better than drugs

Magnet #1130 - Hugs are better

So, I laughed my ass off when I saw this at the bottom of my 80s button magnet tin. It's a great follow-up to yesterday's Don't Be a Dope magnet, I think. We didn't make these - in fact, I haven't a clue where I go it, but I'm sure it had to do with NOISOK.

The saying's moot for me, since I really don't like either.

Well, that's not entirely true. You know those fake hugs/air kisses that New Yorkers are so fond of? I hate those. They drive me crazy. Hugs between friends who haven't seen each other, ok. But the round of air kissing that holds up restaurant doorways drives me nuts.

People always think it's because I just don't like hugging.

Not true. I don't mind hugging people who mean it. I love hugging - getting bear hugs from boys especially. It's actually my unofficial measure of a man, if I'm truthful. You can be as cute as pie, but if you don't know how to crush my bones in a hug, forget it.

Huh. Yep. I just did a whole magnetpost on my thoughts on hugging.

How's that for oversharing?

Don't be a dope

Magnet #1129 - Don't be a dope

Yeah, that's right, this pin magnet clearly proves that I'm a product of the Nancy Reagan Just Say No generation.

Actually, for me, it was part of a bigger story than the Just So No campaign. In high school, a friend of ours was killed by a drunk driver coming home from basketball game during Christmas break. He was one of the bright lights of our school, and we all took it hard.

A few months later, with the help of a beloved librarian, some of us started our own club called NOISOK, focused on keeping us kids out of trouble, keeping us busy with making buttons and sharing experiences, and helping us band together to just say no to the peer pressures of drinking, drugs, and driving under the influence.

I honestly can't tell if worked for everyone - I mean, I'm still pretty self-righteous when it comes to drinking and driving, and I swear to this day whenever I take a drink in hand, I think of my friend from many years ago.

In the end, you can only do so much to educate. It's still a personal decision, whether or not to drink or do drugs, and whether or not to drive under the influence. But, whether or not silly pins like this are responsible for saving lives (I have to believe they are), it's amazing how the messaging doesn't change in 25 years...