HELP!!! cant explain this

ok, so im 23 years old, and i only have 1 friend who actually likes poker enough to read about it, and play in a casino, and talk about it outside of a home game... everybody else knows that i play, and that i really enjoy it. i would say that i average about 40 hours a month at it (give or take an 8-hour session). i don't keep accurate records, but i am ahead of the game overall. probably not by much, considering some of my swings (im a pretty aggressive player).


the problem is, i get such crap about gambling, and how i could be doing better things with my mind, and how gambling isn't good for me, and blah blah blah.


there is a girl in particular, one who i really like but haven't had the balls to do anything about it yet, who makes it a point to show how disappointed she is that i go play poker. she can't come up with a good reason for me not to go play. the last time we talked about it, she finally said to me 'Jeremy, you win, alright. I guess i can't come up with a good reason for you not to go play, but i still think you could be doing something better with your time.' this was the obvious phrase that means 'i don't want to argue with you anymore, i disagree with you, and you wont ever change my mind, but for the sake of semantics, i will verbally concede the argument.'


this sure doesn't get me anywhere. and shes not the only one. so many other people are always laughing at the fact that i play poker. i get comments like 'yeah sure its a skill game' and 'i dont care if you're good at it, its still gambling'.


im sick of defending the game, but im sure not going to quit playing. there was a point when i was 21 that i played way more than i should have, but i can take a much healthier apporach to it now, and i do. these people don't get it, and i don't know what to do anymore...


i need your advice...