"You HAVE to (fill in blank) . . .

A friend hands you a book and says, "You HAVE to read this!"

Or "You have to try this wine/food/etc."

Or someone says, "You HAVE to take this class, it's just what you need."

Uhm, I don't know about you, but I hate it when someone says that I "Have to do Whatever."  It makes me want to set my heels down and not budge.  Maybe it stems from my childhood, where the parent tells you things you "HAVE TO DO". Or maybe I'm just obstinant and ornery.  I don't HAVE to do anything I don't wanna do . . . well, with the exception of doing my taxes, taking a test so I can drive a car, or paying for stuff, etc. ect.  I'm talking about the extracurricular stuff that life throws at you.

On the book front: I had a work friend tell me that I HAD to read, THE HORSE WHISPERER.  I had a horse and was fanatical about him, plus I love reading romances and she told me it was a romance.  It isn't.  I nearly threw the book across the room when "hero" commited suicide by horse.  I felt sorry for the HORSE and was glad the "hero" was dead, because that move wasn't heroic and by no means was it a romance. I refuse to read books that people tell me "I have to read." I'll read the blurb and maybe a page or two, but if it doesn't interest me, well, there are a bazillion books I'd rather read than the one "I have to read."

On the culinary front:  I'll confess right up front that I've been guilty of doing this to my husband, especially when we went Missouri winery hopping pre-kidlet.
"Here, honey, you have to try this." I'd say, handing him my glass. 
"Is it good?" he asks. 
"No, but you have to try it.  It tastes like you're licking a tree."
The center of the country wasn't known for it's wines, mainly due to the climate.  Many vines can't handle the intense summer heat, especially at night, but they are developing vines that produce grapes for this region, which is resulting in wineries popping up. And just like you can't be a great writer simply by writing one book, the same holds true for many things, including making wine. 

On the class-taking front:  Some people love and live for taking on-line classes.  Many writers that I know will take more than one at a time. I'M NOT ONE OF THEM. Oh, I've heard the Margie Lawson workshop is excellent, but even if I won a free packet I'd probably not even look inside.  I'm pig-headed in that way.  Right now, RWA PRO is having a free class for all the RWA PROs about using Wordpress.org as a website tool.  One of my very good buddies is co-running it, but I'm simply not interested.  Oh, I'm sure I could learn all sorts of fascinating things, but I don't do classes.  And I have other things to do instead of working on the class assignments. 

Am I going to regret not doing this class?  Maybe, but I doubt it.  After all, if I'm still interested I can simply read the archives.

The point of this blathering blog is I don't like being told that "I have to do anything." much like 98% of the population. 

Well, time for me to go, 'cause I have to start editing FAERIE. :-)

Later, Peeps!