STOP SMOKING. SERIOUSLY.

For the love of all things holy. Please. Get a clue and stop smoking in our natural park.

Not only are they telling us everywhere in San Diego that smoke and ash is horrible for you to breathe, but on top of that, people come to my court to smoke and drink all the time. I didn't realize I was in weed central when I bought the house, but I have come to consider this just part of my local context. Normally, this is just annoying, a slight danger to my kids safety while playing outside, and an occasional chance for student ministry on my block. But occasionally it becomes idiotic.

This week qualifies as idiotic. We have no school which means that there are bored high school students all over the place. They have nothing to do. So my court becomes like some kind of get drunk and high smokers magnet.

Problem is, half the freakin' county is on fire, over a billion dollars in damage, 14 people have died, and these kids are smokin' in the biggest unburned fire tinder box my community has. It's literally 50 yards from my house. Dry and highly flamable. Here's what I'm talking about.

So, once a day for the past 3 days I've walked outside to find cars in the court I live on. All 3 times I've walked over to talk with a group of high school students who drove them. Here's what happened:

CONVERSATION 1:

• Met 2 high school guys before they got out of the car. Said, "I know that a lot of people like to come to this park to smoke and get high. If you're planning on smoking in the park today, that would be a really really bad choice. The world is on fire, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't risk ours." They agreed and left.

CONVERSATION 2:

• I walked into the park to find 3 girls. They weren't hard to find. Weed is easy to follow. I found 3 girls sitting in a circle tokin' up. I said, "Not only is it illegal to smoke weed in this park, but today there are hundreds of thousands of people out of their homes because of fires. And you're smoking in the midst of a huge pile of dry leaves and sticks. Could you please stop and leave." They said, "We have an ash tray." I said, "Great, but could you stop anyway." They said, "yes, we'll leave."

CONVERSATION 3:

• I walked into the park to find 15 students who had parked 3 cars in my court. As they were walking out with beer in hand. They said to me, "What's up?" (while trying to hide beer behind their back and 2 made a sprint for the creek to go around to their car behind my back.) I said, "Um, the world is on fire and you're smoking and drinkin' in a grove of eucalyptus trees that will go up in flames in a second." They said, "Yeah, I told so and so not to do that." I said, "If you catch this place on fire, we're all in a world of hurt. Not to mention the fact that you're underage, drinking, and then driving your car past my kids on your way out of here." One guy with a beer got smart and said "But I like this forest." I said, "So do I. Find somewhere else to get drunk and high." I left and ignored them since they were leaving. One part of me really wished I could hand them an invite to youth group (the cards are at the printers right now). A second part of me really wished I was a cop. A third, really big part of me wanted to punch the kid with the smart mouth and the half drank beer bottle in his back pocket. The other part of me decided to ignore parts 1 through 3 and take my kids to dinner instead. Next time maybe I'll let part 3 win.

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, MY FAMILY, KOALA BEARS, AND THE EUCALYPTUS TREES THEY LOVE.... STOP SMOKIN' IN MY PARK.

I think I'm gonna make that into a sign and put it over the entrance.