Back to the subject at hand, just a few cases of what Buffy might do if I channel her into examples of current life problems that we face. Money problems: Go to work at Doublemeat Palace. Ummm, didn’t we learn later that there is a whole mall there in Sunnydale? I pictured Buffy as more of a Gap girl than anything and if I can get a part time job at Fashion Bug, that girl can get more than fast food hell. Good looks, blonde hair, short, fit and tone…. The only job she can land is DMP?!?   Which brings me to another point… Mom must have not had a good insurance policy. Yes, I know that she had a high repair bills each month since her daughter was a slayer, but I would have thought Hank’s child support would still be coming in for Dawn, plus Mom’s social security benefits, add that in as monthly support, Buffy could have easily got food stamps since Child Services were already in the picture. Ok, you get the point.

Let’s move onto boyfriend, girlfriend, wife or husband dumps you. Well, I have to admit, I have had the urge to channel her in dealing with this issue. Well, after a good amount of crying, it is always good to get in a fight with your ex. Beat the hell out of the person and then send him to hell. Sounds about right? Or better yet, go chasing after him and then kick yourself for what you should have done. I am not the exerciser so I am all for the Angelus solution, but those of us who chose this option might end up in jail. So let’s just go with part of the Angelus solution. Cry. Cry a lot. Pick yourself up and make yourself keep going. Living is always the best revenge. Please note, I didn’t learn the living is best revenge part from Buffy, but my father. Don’t let a bad relationship cause you to run from your life. We all feel that way, but it solves nothing to run. Stand your ground, let your friends help you with the pain and support you. That is a healthier option.

Depression and coping: what to do if you find yourself here. I hope that no one finds his or her selves here, but knowing life, you may. It has happened to me, and numerous people all over the planet, doesn’t matter age, race or marital status. Please consider this, we all don’t have sexy men like James Marsters to use to make the pain hurt less for a bit. If you do, good for you, but the pain will still be there until you are able to face it and let it heal. You have to deal with your stuff, before you can move on. Using someone else as a sex toy does not make it right, but only ends up making us feel worse in the long run. Spike did care for her, so to him, it was more than meaningless sex, in some ways I think it was for Buffy as well.

Possessive much? Buffy is way possessive of her friends and ex-lovers. She has a jealous streak in her that I don’t think she realizes. It is really seen with Faith. Faith is a hot slayer and at first, has her friends enthralled with her stories of being the slayer, then comes her messing with Angel, Riley and finally semi-flirting with Spike. I love watching Buffy get jealous, but the most fun for me was when she got a bit jealous in “Hells Bells’ over Spike. I think that even surprised her a bit. I have to admit, I am with Buffy on this one. I get jealous. I think all of us get a little jealous. As long as we control it, and don’t let it ruin things, then we are ok.

Let’s focus on another thought I had once, roommates. Why didn’t she and Willow just fill out a housing request form to be roommates? It would have saved a lot of stress on them both. Willow wouldn’t have been stuck with the partier and Buffy wouldn’t have been stuck with the soul sucker. Hey, at least this soul sucker didn’t try to suck your soul from your asshole. (Please see Bubba Ho-Tep)  Not to mention, they wouldn’t have had to move again. I am also in awe of the last room Buffy got and then moved out of. Two doors, I had never seen a room like that in the dorms I stayed in. She could have stayed in school if she hadn’t spent all her money on a private corner room that she left. Which brings me back to funding; she would have been eligible, surely, for grants and loans. With her life expectation, she should have borrowed as much money she could for school because she would be dead before it was all paid back. Plus, they might have forgiven some money since the school was destroyed.

If I did what Buffy did, I would have never learned how to drive. Yes, I know her and cars don’t mix, but why? That is a big hindrance now days. She walked everywhere? How small was Sunnydale exactly? I didn’t get the feeling it was too small when it collapsed on itself. Maybe that is why she didn’t work at the Gap, because it was too far to walk and she couldn’t get anyone with a car to drive her back and forth. That means, she could have sold her mom’s car to pay for some of those bills as well.

Mom says I can’t go out, fine, I’ll go anyways. I would have been so busted! My parents wouldn’t buy that I am not tying up the phone line nor am I not making any noises, so I must be asleep. My mother is not that gullible. Speaking of which, if I had tried to date a guy that was in college when I was a sophomore/junior, she would have said no and grounded me. Of course, I couldn’t date until I was 16 years old, but still I think that she would have a fit. She had a fit when a boy wouldn’t come to the house to pick me up, so I couldn’t see him until he did. So needless to say, me sneaking out to met an older guy, that wouldn’t have happened, if it had, it wouldn’t have been pretty when she was waiting up for me.

Sacrifice the world for my best friend’s life, sure it worked out in the end, but she was often given the choice of letting someone live or not live. It was like watching a judge. Well, you aren’t my friend and I don’t feel sorry for you, so you die. Or, Xander, I’m sorry; Anya has to die because I say so. I have to make these decisions. Well, thank Joss I don’t have to make that decision, or anyone else I know has to make that decision, because I don’t have that much faith in Buffy making the decision on who lives and who doesn’t. Remember this is the lady that said, “We will all die if Dawn bleeds.” I don’t know about the rest of you, but my happy ass would have been booking it up the stairs of the tower as fast as I can and wrapping the whiny girl in bubble wrap.

Regardless, I love the character of Buffy. She is not only fun to write, but gives you things to think about while working or riding down the street. I know this article could go on forever but I think you have gotten the general point of it. The point is, there is no point, except that you will never see me hiding in coffins waiting for vampires. For those of you who think I am Buffy/SMG bashing, please see the above section on hero worship and get some help ASAP.