Shakesthegrounds Rumblings

[Ellemeno]

Exactly Jess, I am going to hold up a sign saying This Faggot Forgives You.

Now resisting the temptation to spray roundup on his grave is another thing......

Truman, I forgot to tell you, the day after we got together, I emailed my mom and sister your writing about Falwell's funeral.  My mom read it right away, real attentively, thought it was real good.  I knew she was going to like you.

My sister hasn't read it that I know of, but she's studying and stressing about taking the bar exam a second time, so is to be forgiven.  

[loneleeb3]

But the Bible references are such that it tells you.  No one is free from sin.......just forgiven

Amen!

[Shakesthecoffecan]

     Well Lynne, you know how much I love you, but I am afraid I have to disagree with this.  It is wonderful and
fine in idea, but the fact is the carrying out of the program hits a brick wall in most, cases.
     

        I wish I had your optimism

Well Janice I know what your saying, but have you ever seen brick walls ocassional sprout grass? It happens. If I can plant a seed in some crevace where it might get to germinate, the root can inflitrate the brick and mortar and make it weaker, and lead eventually to the colapse of that wall. Maybe I can be the rain nourishing it, maybe I can be the light that seed needs to grow.

Jess, thanks too, but I ain't gone let him or his ilk get to me. I am not going to back down from them either. I know one day either I will be asked to acount for what I did to make the world better, or I will be asking myself, and so I keep the intention that I should try to tear down the walls around peoples hearts. Show them just by being myself that you can;t always rely on what someone wrote two thousand years ago to tell you how to think. God gave people minds, and in MHO they are responcible for what they do with them.

[Shakesthecoffecan]

Six am mnew years morning in the throne room, I am reading a recnt issues of the AARP magazine. An interesting article about a woman who was a stay at home mom, a baby boomer, and now at retirement age she is filled with regret about the path not taken.

The article goes on to describe how this is an increasingly common thing among baby boomers who have had so many options, living in a world where everyone knows and sees what is going on in others peoples lives, our minds are not prepared to deal with the information, the feelings that come along with it.

It would seem that with so many choices for so many paths in life we are damned if we do and damned if we don't. Eat up with what ifs. I think that is sad. I think everyone would do it differently if they could, those who say otherwise I don't believe them.

So I will say to all those reading this: I envy each of you, those of you who have children, those of you with good jobs, those of you living in exciting cities, those of you of the verge of something big. Ya'll are so luck. And I am too. Cause if I want to, I could go back to bed right now.  but I won't.

[Lynne]

Hey Jess - I don't think I know the song "What Made America Famous" - I'll go see if I can find it somewhere - the last stanza seems awfully familiar.

     Well Lynne, you know how much I love you, but I am afraid I have to disagree with this.  It is wonderful and
fine in idea, but the fact is the carrying out of the program hits a brick wall in most, cases.
     These people tend to have been searching for a scapegoat for their own problems.  They have some
major issue or another,,,in this case its the death of the brother... They cant rationally blame themself.  They may blame God, and themself as I did.  Or they can find some other outliet for that hate.  In this case he has
decided it is the fault of the cloying homosexuals that ensnared his poor brother.
      I happen to know intimately someone like this.  all they do when you try to teach them a different thought.  Is to get angry and combative.  in other words the mind is made up, don't try to confuse them with facts.
       You can and may well change people that are middle of the road minded but, i dont think you are going to get very far with folks like this..           JMO

        I wish I had your optimism

Janice, we can disagree - if we didn't, one of us would be redundant.

I freely admit to seeing glasses as half-full and rose-colored.  I don't know that I'd wish it on you because evidently it also makes me naive.  I used to think it was a good plan to trust people until they give you a reason not to; now I've seen that that can be a truly dangerous proposition.

I know 'these people' too.  They were my relatives and neighbors growing up - with the notable exception of Grandma Mamie, who is was what I think I can now call a "Mrs. Twist Christian" and be understood.  If it weren't for her, I am pretty sure I'd be atheist instead of agnostic.  Those memories of singing old-timey hymns with her while she pushed me on the swingset or we worked in the garden are just too precious.

You are right that the usual reaction to new ideas is frequently anger and resistance.  (I like 'Don't try to confuse them with facts' - that's a good one  .  )  But still, if you're gracious and civil about it, there's a slight chance that your point of view will be remembered - perhaps the next time someone else espouses it - like drops of rain making a dent in a rock.  It's worth a shot, IMO, largely because simply letting it pass is tantamount to endorsement - and after Brokeback Mountain, I try very very hard to no longer let homophobia pass without comment.

[Lynne]

Here's "What Made America Famous" - it's by Harry Chapin:

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIvQQXGyr3A[/youtube]

[Lynne]

Six am mnew years morning in the throne room, I am reading a recnt issues of the AARP magazine. An interesting article about a woman who was a stay at home mom, a baby boomer, and now at retirement age she is filled with regret about the path not taken.

The article goes on to describe how this is an increasingly common thing among baby boomers who have had so many options, living in a world where everyone knows and sees what is going on in others peoples lives, our minds are not prepared to deal with the information, the feelings that come along with it.

It would seem that with so many choices for so many paths in life we are damned if we do and damned if we don't. Eat up with what ifs. I think that is sad. I think everyone would do it differently if they could, those who say otherwise I don't believe them.

So I will say to all those reading this: I envy each of you, those of you who have children, those of you with good jobs, those of you living in exciting cities, those of you of the verge of something big. Ya'll are so luck. And I am too. Cause if I want to, I could go back to bed right now.  but I won't.

See that's how we're different these days - I would go back to bed and pull the covers over my head!! 

I see a couple of good points here.  First, the point about information overload.  There is so much truth to that - radio, TV, commercials, internet, movies, music, phones, email - it's an endless list.  There's never any true peace or quiet time inside our own brains unless you deliberately turn everything off and head to the woods. 

The what-if's have probably always been there - it's that grass is always greener syndrome, but with the aforementioned overload of information - especially advertising - everything seems better than it is.  In this consumer-driven economy, almost everywhere we turn, we're shown what we're supposed to want and it's most usually different from what we've got.  I guess I'm a little bit too young to be a baby boomer, but it's the same - trying to make things better, constantly questioning if you're doing the best thing for the multiple people involved, etc...

As confused as I am right now about what the future is going to hold, I know I am blessed abundantly with good friends.  So maybe I'll get out of bed after all. 

[Scott6373]

See that's how we're different these days - I would go back to bed and pull the covers over my head!! 

I see a couple of good points here.  First, the point about information overload.  There is so much truth to that - radio, TV, commercials, internet, movies, music, phones, email - it's an endless list.  There's never any true peace or quiet time inside our own brains unless you deliberately turn everything off and head to the woods. 

The what-if's have probably always been there - it's that grass is always greener syndrome, but with the aforementioned overload of information - especially advertising - everything seems better than it is.  In this consumer-driven economy, almost everywhere we turn, we're shown what we're supposed to want and it's most usually different from what we've got.  I guess I'm a little bit too young to be a baby boomer, but it's the same - trying to make things better, constantly questioning if you're doing the best thing for the multiple people involved, etc...

As confused as I am right now about what the future is going to hold, I know I am blessed abundantly with good friends.  So maybe I'll get out of bed after all. 

Lynne we are all indeed blessed with each other in our lives.  We can do anyting we want really.  I was just talking to Truman about a huge change I am thinking about making in my life, and it's scary and thrilling, and makes me feel alive to consider all the possibilities that are out there.  I am a born skeptic, and have been called a drama queen on more than one occasion, so for me to actually be so close to making this change is monumental for me...in other words..if I can do it, anyone can do it.  I know we don't know each other very well, but if you and T are so close, I think you will know what I am talking about.  Change all the "what ifs" to "why nots".

[Lynne]

Lynne we are all indeed blessed with each other in our lives.  We can do anyting we want really.  I was just talking to Truman about a huge change I am thinking about making in my life, and it's scary and thrilling, and makes me feel alive to consider all the possibilities that are out there.  I am a born skeptic, and have been called a drama queen on more than one occasion, so for me to actually be so close to making this change is monumental for me...in other words..if I can do it, anyone can do it.  I know we don't know each other very well, but if you and T are so close, I think you will know what I am talking about.  Change all the "what ifs" to "why nots".

Why is that, I wonder?  Let's make a New Year's Resolution to fix it.   Maybe I'll get an interview in Boston and we can meet properly.  I certainly loved living there once upon a lifetime.

I am not privy to any details of the change(s) you're considering, Scott, but I understand what it feels like to be on the verge of big changes.  It IS both thrilling and terrifying, and there's really a visceral, physical response - I guess it's adrenaline flooding the system - sharpening details and making everything seem more vivid.  Now that I write that, it's a lot like the early days of falling in love, isn't it?

The worst changes, IMO, are the ones that are forced upon you, that you're not ready for because you didn't see it coming, so you've got to adapt quickly - major stress but of a different and really uncomfortable sort.  But I am a control freak and as often as I tell myself the only think you can count on happening is change, it's still a surprise.

Whatever changes you're facing, know you've got people here to help see you through them. 

-Lynne

[Scott6373]

Why is that, I wonder?  Let's make a New Year's Resolution to fix it.   Maybe I'll get an interview in Boston and we can meet properly.

I hope so, that would be great!

there's really a visceral, physical response - I guess it's adrenaline flooding the system - sharpening details and making everything seem more vivid.  Now that I write that, it's a lot like the early days of falling in love, isn't it?

I dunno about that.  I think those first few months of new love are dangerous times...thrilling but dangerous.  Nothing is really sharp.  In fact, it's all pretty hazy; like seeing eveything through a filter, which is why we so often get our hearts broken.

The worst changes, IMO, are the ones that are forced upon you, that you're not ready for because you didn't see it coming, so you've got to adapt quickly - major stress but of a different and really uncomfortable sort. 

Lord don't I know that one, but I actually think the changes that we see coming and don't prepare for, or the situations that we knew would happen if we didn't make changes are hardest to bear because we could have done something.

But I am a control freak and as often as I tell myself the only think you can count on happening is change, it's still a surprise.

I hear ya on that one sister!!  LOL