Why It's Not Okay to Pick Your Nose

I don't know this kid but I thought this picture was AWESOME

You know how there are things that you grow out of? Things like wetting the bed, picking your nose, sucking your thumb, and pooping your pants. And even though we may occasionally lapse back into these behaviors, (I drank too much water before bed/sometimes there’s no other way to get a flapper/what if I get scared at night/I should never have eaten that Cashew Chicken) for the most part we’ve abandoned them.


Even public figures get boogers!

Except for me. I’m not talking about any of the above-mentioned habits, although all but one of those parentheticals is taken from real-life. (Brutal honesty!) I’m talking about another behavior that I just haven’t kicked. Notice that I didn’t say that I can’t kick it, just that I haven’t. I could kick it if I wanted to. I could kick it like that girl who tears off her t-shirt at soccer games after she kicks a goal. But I don’t. And it’s not so much a bad habit—it’s a statement—a mindset really that I absolutely must get past.

Are you ready? Promise not to laugh? ‘Cause it’s actually a pretty big deal. If you don’t understand why, I’ll explain in a minute

The statement is this: I can if I want to. It’s a phrase that makes us cringe when it comes from children. It literally makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Not to mention the hair on my legs, which is strangely sensitive to stuff like that. (I’m just kidding; I don’t have any hair on my legs. Wink, wink)

So why is it such a problem for an adult to still be stuck in this mindset? Let me give you a few examples and you can figure it out from there.

‘It’s midnight. I’m totally exhausted and I should go to sleep instead of watching another ‘Monk’ episode. So what? I can if I want to!’

‘I should get up and do the dishes instead of reading another blog post. So what? I can if I want to!’

Here’s the kicker and the one that’s causing the most problems for me: ‘I am full and I absolutely do NOT need dessert. So what? I can if I want to!’

Here I am just a couple of short years ago. Do you see a double chin? Me neither!!

As a result of all of these examples in addition to a few more like exercising, blogging, cleaning my house, doing projects on the house, doing projects with the girls…I am tired, my house is almost always a mess and I’m overweight. I’m not morbidly obese or anything, I’m just constantly uncomfortable. Always aware that people are noticing that I am wearing shirts that might be just a little too tight and that make my tummy sort of…roll over my jeans.



This is just a month ago. I am officially 'the fat sister' and I apparently did not watch enough Charlie's Angels. Yikes.

Here’s the deal: I don’t want this to be the way I go through life. I don’t want to teach this to my kids. And as much as I may preach against it in the years to come, if I continue on this way that will be the lesson they learn.

My solution?  Every time I hear that thought run through my head I’m going to do my darndest to smack it in the face, do some kind of Hulk Hogan/Rock move on it, and basically send it to sleep with the fishes. Maybe then my house won’t smell like old bananas and the treadmill won’t be so dusty. : ) Wish me luck! I’m off to find some cookies do the dishes! BAM!

Kid picking nose picture from here:

http://blogs.babble.com/babble-voices/dan-pearce-danoah-unleashed/2012/04/30/my-kids-booger-problem/

Hillary picking nose picture from here:

http://crosstraining2010.wordpress.com/2010/09/01/just-when-you-think-nobody-nose/