More Guilt, Please

An email made its way into my inbox the other day that talked about how so many awful things happen in this world and how it’s because we’ve asked God to step out, and then we wonder why things are so bad. It went on to say other things like ‘we reap what we sow’ and threw out some other guilt-ridden tactics in attempts to get me to forward the email to everyone in my address book. It ended with a foreboding statement to the effect of ‘if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in.’

I say forwarding an email is not going to change the world. I say getting off your ass just might. I say quit feigning interest and start sincerely caring! There’s a song that says ‘you’re not affected by the truth unless it’s on your doorstep.’ And I think that’s true for a lot of people. But that doesn’t make it ok, ignorance is not bliss. In this case it’s just selfish.

Maybe it’s just me but I don’t need guilt from an email for me to want to change the world. I just wake up in the morning.

Pass the Salsa!

First of all I want to say, it’s not a new years resolution.

One of the things I would like to do differently this year is to break out of my shell more. What I mean is, it’s easy for me to get stuck in a routine, doing the same things with the same group of people, sticking with things I like to do and feel safe doing. So I plan to do something that I wouldn’t normally do at least once a month. Do something that puts me out of my comfort zone and opens up opportunities for me to learn. I don’t really have a good list of what that will look like yet (I’m open to suggestions). Anyway, I did have one chance to be uncomfortable this year already.

The other night a friend of mine from work asked me to go salsa dancing (it was a last minute kinda thing). Those of you who know me are aware that I love to swing dance (for about the last 3 years, on and off). Now, knowing swing and learning salsa is something I’m having a hard time putting into words. There’s a good and bad to this: Good – once you know one type of dance, learning a new one is easier. You have the rhythm thing down and have (hopefully) grasped the basic idea of dancing in general. Bad – there is no standard. The only similarities between swing and salsa are that 1) there’s music playing and 2) you’re moving to it. Pretty much everything I learned in swing threw me off from what I was supposed to be doing with this new type of dance.

I really did have a great time despite my inadequacies, and will probably go again.

What my experience has taught me:
Sometimes you have to forget what you’ve learned in order to know what you’re doing. A good teacher is very valuable.
Shaking my hips is not easy. :)

Resolutions

New Year’s resolutions: I resolve to make no resolutions. (since I am perfect, after all…)

Ok, so that’s not remotely true. But I really don’t believe in making new years resolutions any more. I think that if you become aware of things that need to change in your life you shouldn’t wait until January to make it happen.

I’m not saying I’m opposed to improving yourself. In fact, I have a whole list of things I would like to change about myself/my behavior. (It’s becoming a long list because I am not in fact perfect, but I won’t bore you with the details.)

It just seems like another game we play with ourselves. Yes, this year will be different; I’ll exercise 3 times a week and eat fruits and veggies every day. Two weeks later it’s back to the all-sugar diet. Plus, when you set far-out goals like that and then don’t meet them, it’s hard on your self esteem. No, I’m not saying not to have any goals. I just think having new years resolutions have more negative effects than good ones.

What do you think? Have you made resolutions for 2006?

Such Great Heights

I’m not a hopeless romantic like I used to be. In fact, these days I claim to be more of a realist (logical and analytical as my profession encourages). But when I heard this song I was taken back to the days when I truly believed in love at first sight and soul mates. It is such a moving song that I wanted to share it.

"Such Great Heights"
The Postal Service

I am thinking it's a sign that the freckles
In our eyes are mirror images and when
We kiss they're perfectly aligned
And I have to speculate that God himself
Did make us into corresponding shapes like
Puzzle pieces from the clay
And true, it may seem like a stretch, but
Its thoughts like this that catch my troubled
Head when you're away when I am missing you to death
When you are out there on the road for
Several weeks of shows and when you scan
The radio, I hope this song will guide you home

They will see us waving from such great
Heights, 'come down now,' they'll say
But everything looks perfect from far away,
'come down now,'but we'll stay...

I tried my best to leave this all on your
Machine but the persistent beat it sounded
Thin upon listeningAnd that frankly will not fly. You will hear
The shrillest highs and lowest lows with
The windows down when this is guiding you home

They will see us waving from such great
Heights, 'come down now,' they'll say
But everything looks perfect from far away,
'come down now,' but we'll stay...