Myspace blog-December 2007/January 2008

Scandalicious
January 15, 2008

The Religion Test
My Result: Unitarian Universalism

"While the Unitarian Universalists have mixed beliefs about the existence of God, they tend to share the belief that there is something to be learned from every world religion. By accepting differences between individual spiritual beliefs, Unitarian Universalists come together under a few broad and inclusive moral ideologies. They pass their beliefs from generation to generation through their church's literature and their teachings, both of which draw on many of the major spiritual texts from a variety of religions.

Typically open-minded and intellectual, Unitarian Universalists encourage individual exploration of many different spiritual truths. They also tend to be politically liberal."

I have never really heard of this, but I am glad it exists. Who am I or who is anyone to say that we have found the "one true religion" and anyone who disagrees is wrong? The path to enlightenment is different for everyone and religions are essentially various human interpretations of the same core beliefs. It gets messy only once people start applying labels and acting superior because of it. (Actually, the same thing can happen to someone with material wealth. Perhaps that really is a new religion. Talk amongst yourselves.) I don't care who or what you claim to be defending, any war or terrible thing that occurs in the "name of God/Allah/whatever" goes against the true message of that religion.

Religion should not be a means of manipulating others and pushing an alternative agenda. Consider everything we have let the Bush administration get away with because we wanted to restore "Christian values" and "dignity" to the White House. If we still truly held presidents accountable for their actions, Bush would have been impeached instead of re-elected in 2004. Lucky for him, as long as he plays the religion/morality card and does not cheat on his wife, he can cheat the country instead and blatantly disobey the Constitution. (Should I capitalize the H in "He" when referring to Bush?) It is so self-righteous and hypocritical. Since when is it more dignified and ethical to advocate a baseless war that continues to needlessly kill and severely disrupt hundreds of thousands of lives? My personal interpretation of pro-life, for example, extends beyond unborn American babies, to American soldiers, Iraqi civilians (men, women, children, babies alike), the poor and humanity at large. All religion and politics aside, shouldn't that be a basic human principle?


Taking Chances
January 13, 2008

As I glance at the past, I realize that certain parts of my life are mostly filled with "what if?" and "what might have been" because I talked myself out of them and moved on before I really gave them a chance. I always seemed to be waiting for that moment of 100% certainty and undeniable proof that I also knew, deep down, would never come.

My reasoning at the time has mostly crumbled into bullshit excuses. What was I so afraid of, and what was the big deal anyway? I am left with more questions than answers. Maybe I am finally accepting the fact that emotion cannot/should not always be grounded in logic and explained away; sometimes I just have to let go and jump in, as scary as that may sound. A new year symbolizes new beginnings, and this is the year that I consciously move beyond the potential and into the present. [2010 update--Yep, 2008 was that year.]

The tattoo on my forehead
December 19, 2007

This year was one of the most defining years of my life. The real world has allowed me to kind of flourish, and my job, car, apartment, and life in general are panning out nicely (politics and overall world issues excluded here for the sake of my eternal optimism)--it's about time! At first glance, I seem to be miles away from the person I was just last year, but I think I have actually just grown-up and grown into myself. I also discovered that (so-called) friends may not always understand the process, but sometimes the best thing to do is be honest, cut ties and move on.

Who I am today is essentially who I have always been inside, but now I am more established, confident, and eager to open up. My strong thoughts, feelings, and interests truly describe me, but often I keep those things hidden underneath my quiet exterior. It's kind of like...I know what's in my hand, why should I show all my cards at once? If someone else wants to know me, all they have to do is ask or show interest; otherwise, I actually like to listen to THEIR stories. (People I hardly know like to tell me personal things, too, which is usually fascinating but also perplexing.)

When I don't let people get to know me, though, I practically make them fill in the blanks and create who they think I am; it's as though I willingly accept a mask made of these strangers' opinions. "Quiet girl" is an aspect of my personality, yet it does not and should not define me. Yes, I will always be a quiet person (it is like a tattoo on my forehead, or rather a scarlet letter), but contrary to popular belief, that does not mean I will always be stuck inside this (deteriorating) "shell." Initially, these ideas seem to contradict, but so do many other aspects of my personality. Venture beyond the expected, and you will most likely find me there.