Lol. Here we go... indeed, it
does come from the
Family Foundation School Newsletter. Here's the full article; apparently,
all the references to God, FFS, and AA were edited out in the OP:
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Moisturizers Anonymous?by Intern on March 11, 2010By Sarah B.There is often that person who, every few minutes, takes out their Carmex, or ChapStick to moisturize their lips. It seems unlikely that the lips of these people dry out faster than they can put their lip balm away. Some have gone as far as to call this dependence an addiction. The overuse of moisturizer has made the lips rely on the constant application of relief.
It is also a mental addiction. Watching someone else put on lip balm easily prompts the person nearby to do the same (kind of like yawning). While writing this article, I applied my own Burts Bees.
On
http://www.essortment.com it says that, "...camphor and alcohol are effective ingredients, but they also tend to dry out the skin over time" referring to two of the many ingredients found in different lip balm brands. As the skin dries more and more, the lips hurt and crack. The only immediate way to solve this is by applying more lip balm. This vicious cycle is not easy to break.
Why am I lecturing you on the agonies of lip balm? Because the addictions of the world are not limited to drugs, sex, and alcohol. Some addictions are just more acceptable in society, and do not make someone's life a living hell.
Is temporarily relieving pain, no matter how small, really worth a lifetime of dependence? Sure, buying a stick of lip balm every few weeks isn't a huge deal, but wouldn't it be better if you could live your life without relying on anything but yourself and God?
In the American culture, living without any kind of dependence can be a hard thing to do. Coffee breaks are part of many job descriptions. A time to leave work for a few moments to forget about the boss you resent, and just relax as the caffeine hits your system and you start to feel like you can get some work done again.
Coffee is also a huge part of social activities. A common line used to ask someone on a first date, "Do you want to get some coffee with me?" Caffeine is a social lubricant, not nearly as strong as alcohol, but enough for people to use as a crutch in daily living.
Am I arguing against the use of lip balm and caffeine? Not exactly. I have used plenty of both in my lifetime. I am simply questioning the true benefits of living with an addiction. Some addictions are manageable…to an extent, but what if you could be without any?
Many teenagers, like myself, have this idea of freedom. At home, I felt the only way to be free was by sneaking around my parents to do anything and everything I wanted to. I soon discovered that the more I did what I thought I wanted to do, the more entangled I became in lies and relationships. I lost the ability to be honest, I felt rejected by the world, and I hated myself. The only route to freedom I could see after that was killing myself.
It turns out that absolute honesty and unselfishness is a true way to find happiness. I am more free than I have ever been in my life, even though I am living at The Family School. I do not rely on drugs to get me through the day, or even lies and caffeine. I am alive and it's a wonderful thing.
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