I’m not an old lady yet, but I’ve been a few places and taken some misturns that have eventually led to a little insight. And one thing I’ve learned? Having some hate in my heart has made some things better for me. Of course, hate for sentient beings is just setting you up for bad karma, but hate – in general – is a natural human emotion so why not use it for some good?

I confess, I’m so very happy that I hate:

1. TV. I thought television was uncool and bad for me many years before it was something I could happily avoid. But today, even though I’m living in a house with cable and lots of people who watch it, I have no desire to. I can proudly say that I want to kill my television just as much as the average Culture Jammer.

This is my plan to add years to my life. Every second in front of the set is really just dead time…and I’m saving that for after my funeral.

2. Driving. With some love for walking mixed in, of course. For instance, I would much rather park in the very farthest end of a parking lot and walk than even attempt to drive in the over-crowded, pedestrian filled area toward the front.

The world is so beautiful in slow motion, fresh air in your face and feet on the ground. It’s good for the body and saves in gas money too.

3. Meat. Yep, PETA got me when I was 15: young and impressionable. I’m no longer a vegetarian, but meat still grosses me out and I’m glad. Although not all of it is as evil as I once thought, the majority of it is inhumane, unsustainable, and bad for me. And when I’m not watching my diet closely, not eating meat is usually the best bet so I’m lucky it’s what my subconscious chooses to do.

4. Dead end jobs. If I didn’t hate them so much, I wouldn’t try to get anything else out of myself. I wouldn’t push myself, I wouldn’t try to be frugal to avoid working as many hours at them, I wouldn’t look into new income-making ventures. And if I didn’t do that stuff, life would just be dull. I would be depressed. And my mom would give me more lectures.

5. The GAP (and similar places). Oh my goodness, this hatred has saved me so much money over the years. I can’t tell you when it first came about, but I just hate clothing companies that charge you $50 for some cheap garment made in a sweatshop for two dollars. Yes, I still think their stuff is cute, but I refuse to pay any company that much money to exploit people in other countries.

So there are some of my positive hatreds. Now if only I could get some hate going for Diet Pepsi….