Talking things through

I hate when I don't know how to bring up something that bothers me without hurting the other person... especially when it's not his fault, when it's nobody's fault.

I hate when there isn't a good obvious easy solution for something that bothers me.

I like that I try to bring it up anyway.

I like that I try to find solutions anyway.

I hope I'll get better at both of these.

Survey: Nine Things

Last Seen in the Journal Of: thorswitch

( Things I'm afraid of, things that make me laugh... )

I am the serenest!

I'm pretty late on last week's Friday Five!

1. Were you raised in a particular religious faith?
Yes, although not with incredible strength or consistency. We were Christian, Protestant. We attended a Presbyterian church when we lived in Newton, then a Methodist church after moving to Natick. My mother really wanted us to go to Sunday School. She made us little notebooks to study the Lord's Prayer, memorize psalms, and think about the meaning of specific Bible verses. We kids were nowhere near so enthused about all of this. Eventually we won the battle, and for a while, we stopped attending church altogether.

2. Do you still practice that faith? Why or why not?
No, for several reasons. One is that I perceive most organized Christian religion as anti-woman. To quote a very wise lady, any faith that won't accept a woman's participation at the highest levels does not deserve my participation at any level. (Yes, this eliminates almost all organized religion for me.) Another is that I don't agree with many of the assumptions I see: everyone is a sinner, sinners get everlasting torment, submissiveness is required, worshipping God by the wrong name is worthy of eternal damnation, all other religions are Wrong.

3. What do you think happens after death?
I'm not 100% sure, but my favorite and most-believed theory is that we return to learn anything we didn't get the hang of on our last few gazillion times around. I am not at all sure that there's much individual personality or specific memories that survive this process, though. I'm very hazy on what I believe about other paths... what happens when we've pretty much 'got' the lessons of this life, for example.

4. What is your favorite religious ritual (participating in or just observing)?
Participating: Lighting candles, meditating, singing; a Wiccan Circle raising energy for healing. Observing: My most recent favorite is the Buddhist wedding I went to a few weeks ago.

5. Do you believe people are basically good?
Well, gosh, what's "good"? I believe people have, internally, both stuff that I would call good and stuff that I would call bad. I believe most people try to be good, and I also believe most people don't try very hard... often because they're caught up in just daily living. I believe people can be pretty damn wonderful, often when I least expect it. I believe people are pretty complex. I believe people are the worst thing on the planet... and the best... and the most intriguing.

No layoffs today.

Maybe next week.

It's the little things

My group at work just moved into a new building, and in this building, the vending machines and drinks fridges nearest us are very poorly stocked. We all joke that it's part of the cost-cutting measures, but we know it's not; whoever is supposed to be replenishing the supply is simply falling down on the job.

I really like drinking Calistoga lemon fizzy-water. Naturally there is never any on my floor. Usually I am too lazy to go scouting on other floors to find any.

Someone just came by and gave me two bottles of Calistoga lemon fizzy-water. He happened to see some when he went downstairs... and he happened to remember I like it, and he happened to pick some up and bring it to me.

:-)

I'll miss him when I get laid off.