the christians and the pagans sat together at the table, finding faith and common ground the best that they were able.
-dar williams, “the christians and the pagans”
part 1:
part 2:
in a non-schizophrenic way, i often feel like both characters at the same time. i love them both. dearly. oh how iron sharpens iron.
why do you have to believe in the divinity of jesus christ to know that robbing a bank is wrong?
-matt albie (matthew perry), studio 60
i miss studio 60. :(
okay, so audrina basically admitted what we all knew. the hills is all fake.
i got discovered at the pool.
if you can get “cast” to be someone’s friend by a producer and start filming “3 weeks later” – that is definitely not reality tv. that is more like skit tv or improv tv. but you’re smart cookies. you already knew that.
and yet i watch the hills. i should be embarrassed. i’m not even sure i like it, but when i don’t, i like not liking it. like i enjoy watching it even if i’m loathing it…yeah, pretty sick. and yeah, it’s available online and i only have 2 channels but i don’t even think that’s a credible excuse. i still watch it. and it’s entertaining.
and i have dabbled in the reality tv genre and know firsthand how much they skew/edit/spin things… did i say that outloud? oops. but it is what it is. entertaining. lighthearted, goodnatured fun. mostly. :)
and i will say that my friends who are on that show make tons of sacrifices and their show does not cast fake friends or family members. geez!
just don’t believe 90% of what you see, search for the grain of truth and hold onto that. the message usually outshines the content and you can usually find that to withstand the bad editing and dubbed over interviews. oops, did i say that outloud again?
believe everything. hollywood doesn’t lie. :)
So the other day, I am waiting in line at the pharmacy. Yadda yadda, just minding my own business when I hear the guy behind me complaining to the pharmacy technician.
I wish ADA would fix the credit card swipers, they are really not conducive to left-handed people.
And I’m kinda hoping he’s joking, because really? Of all the things the ADA (American Disabilities Act) has done – isn’t this kind of a joke? But he keeps droning on complaining, clearly not joking here.
The best part was I am standing in front of him, in all my 4’1” glory, not even able to see the text on the credit card swiper which stands at eye-level. I am reaching above my head to sign the screen but not able to read the text due to the glare.
I’m not saying any of this to gripe about the ADA. This is the least of their worries. And yet, the ADA does not exist to customize my world for me. I’m not the norm and I just wanted to say to that guy, “dude, deal with it. If you’re not in the norm you can’t expect the world to cater to your every need. ADAPT.”
Duh…deal with life. The ADA has done a lot to make life liveable, but please, don’t ever expect anyone to cater to your every need. In a way, the struggle brings greater appreciation. When I find something that fits me or can access something “my-size” it is so exciting! I really appreciate it. Especially when my legs don’t have to dangle off, sitting in average-sized chairs, making them fall asleep!
My dad lowered the counters in our kitchen and made an extra little sink in our bathroom (my family is 4/5 little people) so that I could be independent and self-reliant. But never in a million years did they teach me to expect anything in the world to accommodate me, I must adapt to it. When you can’t do something, get a stool, climb up and do something about it!
I have not slept well in the past few days. Things have felt heavy and full. I have a lot of things I am trying to put to rest, other dreams I am trying to birth forth. I am twisted, a little darker than I intend to be, hard-pressed and a little angry. I found out yesterday that my old roommate’s fiance passed away suddenly, without reason at age 28. Before this relationship, her boyfriend (my cousin) was killed in a car accident. (More on this later). Anyways, I’m set to go to bed early tonight and hoping for good sleep. I was catching up on my friends’ blogs when I discovered on Eric‘s blog he posted a new song of his to listen to. It’s amazing that music has the opportunity to contain our heart’s deepest hope, without us even knowing it or being aware of it at the time. Music provokes such a visceral experience for me, it literally can sustain my joy. If all (or any) truth is God’s truth, surely the same applies to beauty. Surely there is a creative, loving being in the universe that can sustain us–if such music exists to sing over us when we are afraid. The words in Eric’s song–this is my prayer for tonight. Thank you Eric, for blessing your friends with your music.
so i went on a 3rd date with my new friend crushes, lisa and katy. we kind of had a repeat date, meeting for dinner after they got off work and also visiting the MAC store. i have kind of developed a gay-boy crush on one of the boys that work there. ha ha. this crush would actually be plausible since i like boys, but he likes boys too so that won’t really work. tee hee. ;) but shout outs to rick. anyways, i divert back to the real topic at hand.
what i really want to blog about is my starbucks encounter before meeting the girls to hang out. so i’m killing some time at starbucks, just kind of minding my own business. while i’m waiting for my drink to be called, this yuppie-dad walks up to me and our dialogue goes roughly as follows:
so, hi. my kids have never seen someone like you, so i thought it would be a good opportunity for you to educate them about people like yourself. what are you, like a little person?
um. yes i am. okay.
-interrupts- well okay good. well–these are my 2 daughters so if you could just tell them what it’s like to be a little person that’d be great.
um, sure. uh, hi girls. how are you?
-interrupts again- like she’s normal girls. but she looks different. she is uncommon though but normal. she probably drives, has a job and has friends. so yeah, she’s a normal person. anything else you’d like to add?
no, that’s about it. do you girls have any questions?
the girls just stand there looking at me awkwardly, probably because their dad just turned this into an awkward educational encounter. i felt like i was at the museum or a zoo exhibit–considering the starbucks employees were all looking over at us. he could have just fed me a peanut or something, i was pretty much on display. i guess on some level i appreciate the awareness of wanting his children to understand differences, but i can’t help but wonder if there is a better way? does it really have to be with a total stranger in line at starbucks?
Interesting videos from the Today Show on the NYC Governor’s prostitution scandal. Watch here and here please share your thoughts in response.
Cheating was his decision to repair what’s damaged and to feed himself where he’s starving.
-Dr. Laura Schlessinger
A lot of times they will dictate to other people what morality needs to be. And that is a way they work out a lot of their own issues…
-Dr. Jeff Gardere
What I consider very interesting is that Governor Spitzer actually paraded himself around in his campaign saying that he would champion morality causes. Dr. Laura’s quote above is very disconcerting and I’m sure quite controversial. Dr. Gardere seems to pinpoint a very interesting concept — especially thinking back to the Ted Haggard scandal and the Jim McGreevey scandal.
Maybe humanity is just too broken to champion moral causes, as sad as that is? Maybe we should do better at challenging the loudest voices — is their volume a mechanism to cover up their own shameful secrets? I don’t want to be cynical–how can these scandals point toward a greater message of hope, wholeness and healing?
I honestly think it’s the biggest threat our nation has, even moreso than terrorism or Islam.
-Sally Kern, Oklahoma State Representative
There is so much to pick apart here. But I want to say one thing that I think is most important.
I think rhetoric like what was spoken on that video breaks God’s heart. I am sorry that the world had to hear that. I try to follow Jesus and I am a person of faith. I think if Jesus were here today, walking among us, he would be sobbing to hear what people are doing “in His name”.
You are welcome to think differently–about your life, your faith and who you are–I believe God’s love is bigger and wider and deeper and that God loves you no more or no less than anyone else–but wholly, completely and unabashedly as you are.
**Update: What makes this story even sadder is that Sally Kern’s son, Jesse, is gay.
JOSH AND JEN RETURN–LPA 2008 TALENT SHOW:
Get ready! This year’s LPA talent show is being totally revamped, re-energized and it’s gonna be big! :) My friend Josh and I were asked to head it up and emcee! I’m so excited– click here to be directed to my website which has more information and how to sign up.
And don’t forget “People of My Life”:
Click here to be directed to our 2007 collaboration project that debuted at last year’s LPA conference. You can still buy a copy of the limited edition CD here.
Hello my blog-reading gems,
A couple years ago I was asked to write a segment for a book – three years later…is that how long it usually takes?!…it is finally published. It’s called Student to Student: A Guide to College Life, published by Regal Books.
The book is “a collection of reflections that takes an honest look at the most common pitfalls and opportunities that life on campus affords”. There are 52 contributors so it is organized to be a weekly inspirational reading.
It is available at Barnes and Noble, click here to be directed to it on their online store.
