Yes, I know, I know. As the more observant among you will have noticed it is, in fact, Tuesday today, and the Monday Moan is late. The simple reason for this is that I was in an unusually good mood yesterday for a Monday, and (gasp!) couldn’t think of anything about which to moan. Really, it’s true. A whole Monday without one single grumble…

Well, that’s not strictly true, but by the time a grumble wormed its way into my head I was far too tired and full of dinner to start blogging. Therefore, for one week only, welcome to the Tuesday Moan; and the subject is: The Nanny State.

It was an advert which triggered this week’s moan; nothing new there, as adverts have a tendency to make me grumpy. However this particular moan is in danger of turning into a full blown rant, as I ABSOLUTELY LOATHE the preachy, self-righteous ‘Let us tell you how to live your life’ brigade. I am an adult, and have been for more years than I care to mention, so I think I am qualified to decide what I do, even if it does include getting falling down drunk every so often. Of course if my actions impacted on other people then the authorities would have every right to intervene, but my actions only impact upon myself, as I lay in bed the day after getting falling down drunk, nursing the mother of all hangovers and grimly muttering ‘Never again.’

The advert I mentioned earlier was yet another anti-smoking advert. I don’t smoke, and I understand the benefits of not smoking, so why would an anti-smoking advert infuriate me so much? Well, this particular anti-smoking advert wasn’t aimed at smokers. Now the target of the anti-smoking lobby is the friends of smokers. Apparently, according to this insufferably smug advert, a real friend wouldn’t let their friends smoke.

Excuse me? Self-righteous preachy type, are you telling me that I am a bad friend because some of my friends smoke? On second thoughts don’t answer that, otherwise this post may well degenerate into a stream of expletives.

Here’s an idea back at you, self-righteous preachy type: how about a true friend respects people’s rights to make their own decisions? If my smoker friends want to give up, they will give up in their own good time. They’re all intelligent adults; they all know the risks. Where do you think our friendship would end up if I suddenly started chucking their cigarettes in the bin and wagging my finger in their faces?

Yes, that’s right. A true EX-friend will be the one who saw fit to tell their friends what they should and shouldn’t do.

OK, rant over; breathing and blood pressure back to normal; and relax.

What shall I moan about next Monday? Tardy bloggers perhaps?

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