Friday, September 25, 2009
...isn't that?
I was in the parking lot of Mills Fleet Farm and this woman was pumping gas into a goofy looking car. Three men were coming out of the grocery store across the road, laughing. She was younger and reminded me a lot of my roommate freshman year. The guys voices were coming closer. They had accents. I asked the girl about her car and she said that she was driving with this band across America and their next stop was Michigan. Why are you in Brainerd I asked and she didn't know why. That one guy looks a lot like John Lennon I said. She asked which guy I meant and I showed her a photograph of another guy I knew who looked a lot like John Lennon and isn't it funny I said how much guys can look like John Lennon if they just try. She stopped pumping gas and said that one guy is John Lennon and she's traveling with his band across America and their next stop was Michigan. The laughing was very close now. I looked from the picture to the men to the girl to the car to the picture and then this man came over to me and asked what I was looking at and I said this picture in my hand and he said oh that guy looks a lot like me but funny that he isn't me. I said yeah that is funny but hey aren't you John Lennon aren't you a member of the Beatles and aren't you touring America right now and isn't your next stop in Michigan. And the man remarked that yeah he is John Lennon and he is touring America right now and he is stopping in Michigan next and what else would I like to know. Can I travel with you I asked because you see I'm going to Wisconsin and need a lift there and since you are here and going through there could I go with you there please. And he said yeah and I got in the car and a man named Paul said hello and a man named Ringo said hello and I said hello and wasn't there somebody else and they said yeah. The girl began to drive and the music began to play and we began to laugh and the car began to move toward Michigan but I was getting off in Wisconsin but when I got to Wisconsin we were in London and I had missed my stop and missed noticing months weeks days hours minutes seconds moments go by if they had gone by at all. And we shuffled onto this little car and moved through the cobblestone streets and high arched windows and brick face buildings of this city people called London and we laughed as we went along because we saw all these things and it seemed a little funny to be with these men named Paul and Ringo and John and not that other one and this girl and we were going to this place that was supposed to have been Wisconsin but was really London and now we were on a roller coaster that was taking us up and these men seemed familiar but the rush of air and the pitch of the wheels and the turns and loops and swings and jerks that led us through a tunnel made of sheets of red and blue and white and red. And we reached the top of this coaster and emerged from the tunnel of sheets and I went backward because I wanted to see it again and so I reversed everything and went backward again and went forward again and when I stretched my head of the tunnel of sheets I saw children playing and families eating and people singing and strangers taking pictures of friends and friends laughing and people screaming and this tunnel made of red and white and blue and red sheets stretching over a river between a city and a big clock and this spiral over the river with railroad running under it and cars traveling and then we were back at the top of the tunnel and our cart was slowed to a stop. We were in a parade and it was me and John and Paul and Ringo and the girl wasn't around anymore but there were hundreds of people surrounding us on both sides and then the girl appeared behind us and she was driving this car which was my station wagon from high school which explains why it was so comfortable and she started playing some music and it was familiar and these men began to dance to it but I was not ready and so I copied this man named John because he was trying to help me dance with them and it was funny that this was all happening.
Monday, September 21, 2009
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Keep it to yourself.
I have a problem. No, it is not that I don't understand physics very well; it is not that I can't really afford to spend time and money at my favorite West Bank stores; it is this: I am afraid.
Maybe not afraid. Reserved? Hesitant? On-egg-shells? Kind of all these things. Let me tell you something about my house life lately. In my Jesus-House life.
A reprisal: I live with ten college-age women, most of whom are in CRU, Campus Crusade for Christ, an outreach group that actively recruits and shares the word of the Lord. Every Sunday morning, everybody leaves for Church. Every Sunday evening there is Bible Study in the living room. Every Thursday night, the housemates are gone for CRU meetings. In those times, I am studying why the Earth is 4.6+ billion years old, honoring the lives of spiders through catch and release, and eating tofu. Oh, and not believing in Christ.
Okay, so my problem is essentially that without naming names (because I won't incriminate my housemates by identifying them or saying too many things about any one in particular), I'm on my watch for a particular housemate who I feel may want to infringe upon my rights. In short, she is my polar opposite when it comes to our belief systems, political, social, and religious. From this description, and depending on how well you know me, you will see just how extreme this dichotomy is. She is listed as 'very conservative' on facebook. Her music preferences range from Toby Keith to Martina McBride. Her number one interest: 'GOD'. Through some discussion I've discovered that this MN Daily article is really saying that abortion education is required for all med students no matter what. She has a license to carry a handgun and keeps a pistol in her bedroom. Again, if you know anything about me, you will see just how curious this situation is for yours truly.
I concede that this person's personality and interests are not the cause of my difficult situation. It is this information I gleaned from a conversation I had with another housemate with whom I get along well. I asked if she was in CRU and she said she wasn't (cool) and she asked if I was and I lowered my voice (since Bible study was still in play) and said I don't believe in God. She reacted well and told me that she completely respects that belief, but that I'd be better off keeping that information to myself or there will be efforts from some to convert me. And now I am faced with the problem - should I be hesitant to declare my set of beliefs when asked? Should I be afraid of my housemates creating a dissonant situation for me...or me creating a dissonant situation for them? In the three weeks of co-habitation, only two or three people have been informed of my leanings, but anybody who has been in my room can see that there are no less than eight Buddhas decorating my space, as well as dinosaur images, a SHADE poster, Tibetan prayer flags, and a subtle but important lack of a couple books which I've seen in other rooms: The Purpose Driven Life and The Bible, while other books such as Harry Potter and Siddhartha are prominently featured.
I live without God everyday and feel happy and in-the-moment and in control of my life. Why should I silence that? Why should I be afraid or concerned with the opinions of others? I'm not paying to be these people's friend, I'm paying to live in a room in a house which coincidentally has ten other Christian women in it, each of whom I admire for pursuing a path I was unable/unwilling to pursue. I knew about the general religion of the house before I agreed to live here, but doesn't it say something about my own tolerance that I didn't say 'No' just because of religion? I'm seeing this year as a growing opportunity and maybe they can see it that way too.
What are your thoughts?
Maybe not afraid. Reserved? Hesitant? On-egg-shells? Kind of all these things. Let me tell you something about my house life lately. In my Jesus-House life.
A reprisal: I live with ten college-age women, most of whom are in CRU, Campus Crusade for Christ, an outreach group that actively recruits and shares the word of the Lord. Every Sunday morning, everybody leaves for Church. Every Sunday evening there is Bible Study in the living room. Every Thursday night, the housemates are gone for CRU meetings. In those times, I am studying why the Earth is 4.6+ billion years old, honoring the lives of spiders through catch and release, and eating tofu. Oh, and not believing in Christ.
Okay, so my problem is essentially that without naming names (because I won't incriminate my housemates by identifying them or saying too many things about any one in particular), I'm on my watch for a particular housemate who I feel may want to infringe upon my rights. In short, she is my polar opposite when it comes to our belief systems, political, social, and religious. From this description, and depending on how well you know me, you will see just how extreme this dichotomy is. She is listed as 'very conservative' on facebook. Her music preferences range from Toby Keith to Martina McBride. Her number one interest: 'GOD'. Through some discussion I've discovered that this MN Daily article is really saying that abortion education is required for all med students no matter what. She has a license to carry a handgun and keeps a pistol in her bedroom. Again, if you know anything about me, you will see just how curious this situation is for yours truly.
I concede that this person's personality and interests are not the cause of my difficult situation. It is this information I gleaned from a conversation I had with another housemate with whom I get along well. I asked if she was in CRU and she said she wasn't (cool) and she asked if I was and I lowered my voice (since Bible study was still in play) and said I don't believe in God. She reacted well and told me that she completely respects that belief, but that I'd be better off keeping that information to myself or there will be efforts from some to convert me. And now I am faced with the problem - should I be hesitant to declare my set of beliefs when asked? Should I be afraid of my housemates creating a dissonant situation for me...or me creating a dissonant situation for them? In the three weeks of co-habitation, only two or three people have been informed of my leanings, but anybody who has been in my room can see that there are no less than eight Buddhas decorating my space, as well as dinosaur images, a SHADE poster, Tibetan prayer flags, and a subtle but important lack of a couple books which I've seen in other rooms: The Purpose Driven Life and The Bible, while other books such as Harry Potter and Siddhartha are prominently featured.
I live without God everyday and feel happy and in-the-moment and in control of my life. Why should I silence that? Why should I be afraid or concerned with the opinions of others? I'm not paying to be these people's friend, I'm paying to live in a room in a house which coincidentally has ten other Christian women in it, each of whom I admire for pursuing a path I was unable/unwilling to pursue. I knew about the general religion of the house before I agreed to live here, but doesn't it say something about my own tolerance that I didn't say 'No' just because of religion? I'm seeing this year as a growing opportunity and maybe they can see it that way too.
What are your thoughts?
Monday, September 7, 2009
Minneapolis to Milan to Eau Claire to Minneapolis
Forewarning: Anecdotal and Diary-like Entry.
An underwater theme could not be a better reason to journey 138 miles with one of your closest friends. Benjamin and I drove to Milan, MN to the Easy Bean Farm to visit another dear friend named Ben, whose beard was fantastic!! The Easy Bean seemed a lot like home, but a home that I kind of fantasized as a mash-up between aspects of my house, my imagination, and something in a Neil Young song. It is hard to appreciate, but seeing people gather in an oblong room decorated with christmas lights and an octopus mural, dancing with flies floating overhead, and skinny dipping under the just-past-full moon pushes a sentiment close to 'what the fuck am I doing in the city' in the mind. I dressed as a pumpkin, wearing parts of a toddler's costume I had found at a garage sale along the way.
I awoke the next day to a rooster. When does that happen? Never in a city. Though once when I was younger, a neighbor bought a couple of chickens and a rooster and they would make so much noise...noise that my dad hated. And one day I was on the swingset and a shock of red caught my eye in the grass - the rooster. My dog Deke had found the coop and made his way inside, killing the poultry he'd been trained to retrieve. I can't say I was surprised to find that my dad had little remorse for this loss of life. So it goes.
I walked on a dirt road, past pastures with cows grazing stupidly and staring at my bipedal progress; the sun and moon shared the sky and I sat on a bridge over the Crow River, anticipating cars for a full minute, hearing them before I could see them. Ben brought Benjamin and I to the fields and showed us rows of ripe tomatoes, kale, collards, eggplants, beans, beets, and peppers. We picked some of each. Another worker named Kevin prepared omelets for everyone; they had spinach, basil, tomatoes, garlic, onions, peppers and cheese in them. They were better than anything I could have made or found in the city - even at Hard Times or Seward Cafe.
Ben gave me a Western hat (so hot) and wooden clogs (that fit my feet exactly!?) - the best souvenirs to a great day away from the city. As Benjamin and I rolled back to Minneapolis, we saw the largest ball of twine made by one man in Darwin, MN. It was completely motivational. If you think you're not going anywhere, do what this one guy did and make your own history, however odd.
After a brief stop at the greatest coffee shop in Minneapolis, Second Moon Coffee Cafe at E Franklin Ave and 23rd Ave S, I drove to Eau Claire for my friend Colin's birthday. I was able to get a couple people on the phone to make the drive less arduous, even though I really love driving anywhere in Wisconsin, and I gained that sense of accomplishment that comes from feeling in touch with people you love - the opposite of the remorse felt when you don't stay in contact. And the party was through and through amazing! Dinosaur pinata, glow-in-the-dark dinosaur puzzle, dinosaur themed gift bags, and dinosaur sprinkles on the cupcake I ate! A couple rousing games of Salad Bowl later, lots of boner/erection cues, and many hugs and goodbyes, Colin, Maggie, Tim and I had a glorious slumberparty.
I dreamt that a cafe across the street from my house was a coffee shop/bar/hookah lounge and some of my friends went there to smoke hookah but I smelled marijuana and knew I had to go over there. When I arrived, they were all leaving and the manager interviewed me for a job. I told him 'I don't fucking tolerate rule breaking' and he gave me the job. He showed me the uniform, some kind of blue canvas scrubs, and introduced me to the staff. I don't know what any of it means.
We went to breakfast at a place called Randy's and visited Colin's new house, where I walloped him in a game of Pokemon Stadium. I strategize. A Kangaskhan that knows how to Surf and use Thunderbolt is going to definitely beat a weak Gengar and the ground-type Marowak. Basics man, basics.
Back in my house, I met a new housemate. I helped her move her things into her bedroom and knew we would get along instantly because A) She's reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; B) She has a poster from the TV show The Office on her wall. I also learned that the house becomes really empty whenever there is a CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ) meeting...i.e. my time to enjoy a massive space of alone time!
Total Distance Traveled (between cities, not in): 505 miles
...that is over three days!
An underwater theme could not be a better reason to journey 138 miles with one of your closest friends. Benjamin and I drove to Milan, MN to the Easy Bean Farm to visit another dear friend named Ben, whose beard was fantastic!! The Easy Bean seemed a lot like home, but a home that I kind of fantasized as a mash-up between aspects of my house, my imagination, and something in a Neil Young song. It is hard to appreciate, but seeing people gather in an oblong room decorated with christmas lights and an octopus mural, dancing with flies floating overhead, and skinny dipping under the just-past-full moon pushes a sentiment close to 'what the fuck am I doing in the city' in the mind. I dressed as a pumpkin, wearing parts of a toddler's costume I had found at a garage sale along the way.
I awoke the next day to a rooster. When does that happen? Never in a city. Though once when I was younger, a neighbor bought a couple of chickens and a rooster and they would make so much noise...noise that my dad hated. And one day I was on the swingset and a shock of red caught my eye in the grass - the rooster. My dog Deke had found the coop and made his way inside, killing the poultry he'd been trained to retrieve. I can't say I was surprised to find that my dad had little remorse for this loss of life. So it goes.
I walked on a dirt road, past pastures with cows grazing stupidly and staring at my bipedal progress; the sun and moon shared the sky and I sat on a bridge over the Crow River, anticipating cars for a full minute, hearing them before I could see them. Ben brought Benjamin and I to the fields and showed us rows of ripe tomatoes, kale, collards, eggplants, beans, beets, and peppers. We picked some of each. Another worker named Kevin prepared omelets for everyone; they had spinach, basil, tomatoes, garlic, onions, peppers and cheese in them. They were better than anything I could have made or found in the city - even at Hard Times or Seward Cafe.
Ben gave me a Western hat (so hot) and wooden clogs (that fit my feet exactly!?) - the best souvenirs to a great day away from the city. As Benjamin and I rolled back to Minneapolis, we saw the largest ball of twine made by one man in Darwin, MN. It was completely motivational. If you think you're not going anywhere, do what this one guy did and make your own history, however odd.
After a brief stop at the greatest coffee shop in Minneapolis, Second Moon Coffee Cafe at E Franklin Ave and 23rd Ave S, I drove to Eau Claire for my friend Colin's birthday. I was able to get a couple people on the phone to make the drive less arduous, even though I really love driving anywhere in Wisconsin, and I gained that sense of accomplishment that comes from feeling in touch with people you love - the opposite of the remorse felt when you don't stay in contact. And the party was through and through amazing! Dinosaur pinata, glow-in-the-dark dinosaur puzzle, dinosaur themed gift bags, and dinosaur sprinkles on the cupcake I ate! A couple rousing games of Salad Bowl later, lots of boner/erection cues, and many hugs and goodbyes, Colin, Maggie, Tim and I had a glorious slumberparty.
I dreamt that a cafe across the street from my house was a coffee shop/bar/hookah lounge and some of my friends went there to smoke hookah but I smelled marijuana and knew I had to go over there. When I arrived, they were all leaving and the manager interviewed me for a job. I told him 'I don't fucking tolerate rule breaking' and he gave me the job. He showed me the uniform, some kind of blue canvas scrubs, and introduced me to the staff. I don't know what any of it means.
We went to breakfast at a place called Randy's and visited Colin's new house, where I walloped him in a game of Pokemon Stadium. I strategize. A Kangaskhan that knows how to Surf and use Thunderbolt is going to definitely beat a weak Gengar and the ground-type Marowak. Basics man, basics.
Back in my house, I met a new housemate. I helped her move her things into her bedroom and knew we would get along instantly because A) She's reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows; B) She has a poster from the TV show The Office on her wall. I also learned that the house becomes really empty whenever there is a CRU (Campus Crusade for Christ) meeting...i.e. my time to enjoy a massive space of alone time!
Total Distance Traveled (between cities, not in): 505 miles
...that is over three days!
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Pranks, Round 1
My housemates like to pull pranks on each other.
I've formed an alliance with one of the girls and we have, with the aid of my good friend Ben, altered the state of the living room and kitchen.
1. The candles that were arranged on the mantle have been swapped for the candles on the window sill.
2. The yarn basket was turned the other way.
3. The vases were switched with the huge candles near the hearth.
4. The couches were moved inches closer to the coffee table.
5. The pillows and the blankets were rearranged and the order of the board game stack reversed.
6. The shoe rack was moved closer to the door and the coats rearranged on the hooks.
In the kitchen
7.The aprons were switched and the container for large cooking utensils was reversed with the mug rack.
8. A post it note reminding everyone to wash their dishes as soon as they are done with them was moved from one cabinet panel to the other.
9. The cup holding the forks switched with the cup holding the spoons. Identical post cards addressed to different people that are on the refrigerator.
I wonder who will notice?
I've formed an alliance with one of the girls and we have, with the aid of my good friend Ben, altered the state of the living room and kitchen.
1. The candles that were arranged on the mantle have been swapped for the candles on the window sill.
2. The yarn basket was turned the other way.
3. The vases were switched with the huge candles near the hearth.
4. The couches were moved inches closer to the coffee table.
5. The pillows and the blankets were rearranged and the order of the board game stack reversed.
6. The shoe rack was moved closer to the door and the coats rearranged on the hooks.
In the kitchen
7.The aprons were switched and the container for large cooking utensils was reversed with the mug rack.
8. A post it note reminding everyone to wash their dishes as soon as they are done with them was moved from one cabinet panel to the other.
9. The cup holding the forks switched with the cup holding the spoons. Identical post cards addressed to different people that are on the refrigerator.
I wonder who will notice?
So when you say 'Prehistoric Evolution' ... what do you mean?
I mean that scientific evidence from archaeologists, anthropologists, geologists, and paleontologists show that there has been an evolution of bipedal apes since the Miocene epoch. An evolution that links the human kind of today with the great apes, Chimpanzees and Gorillas alike (Tostevin, Tappen). Humans are in the Kingdom of Animalia and therefore we are animals. It would be foolish to assume that only certain species evolve such as Canis lupus or Felis catus, but not Homo sapien. It would be even more foolish to assume that we are not still evolving and changing our entire genetic code with every new child that is born.
This is the argument I made (mostly in my head) with my new roommate - who told me she believes in the evolution of species, but not humans, but mostly she believes in Creationism.
I say mostly in my head because I'm still getting a sense of this new house into which I have moved for this coming year. I live with nine women in an early 1900s house in that neighborhood famous for a riot last year. I am gradually finding out that I do not fit in very well, and finding that the more evident my oddness becomes, the more I want to take a backseat and see how long it takes for everyone to put the following labels on me:
Athiest, Non-believer, member of the Liberal Media, Witch, and Vegan.
But really I don't believe there is a God, I don't think Creationism is a viable explanation for anything, the Earth is over 4.6 billion years old, Dinosaurs were real animals that walked this earth, Barack Obama was born in the United States and is doing a good job as President, I like Harry Potter (among other things) and don't think it is unacceptable to read/watch because it is witchcraft, and yes...I'm vegetarian and I eat tofu, but that soymilk in the fridge doesn't mean I'm vegan (like it's a bad thing?) because if you'll notice, it is sitting next to a carton of eggs.
I am eager to hear misconceptions about myself, and eager to find out what my housemates are all about and shatter my misconception of them: Right-wing, blind Christian followers, intolerant, hypocritical, judgemental.
But wait...judgemental...aren't I? And don't two of them have the same ringtone as I do? And don't we all enjoy pulling little pranks on each other? I mean shouldn't our similarities overcome our differences? I really hope that they do.
This is the argument I made (mostly in my head) with my new roommate - who told me she believes in the evolution of species, but not humans, but mostly she believes in Creationism.
I say mostly in my head because I'm still getting a sense of this new house into which I have moved for this coming year. I live with nine women in an early 1900s house in that neighborhood famous for a riot last year. I am gradually finding out that I do not fit in very well, and finding that the more evident my oddness becomes, the more I want to take a backseat and see how long it takes for everyone to put the following labels on me:
Athiest, Non-believer, member of the Liberal Media, Witch, and Vegan.
But really I don't believe there is a God, I don't think Creationism is a viable explanation for anything, the Earth is over 4.6 billion years old, Dinosaurs were real animals that walked this earth, Barack Obama was born in the United States and is doing a good job as President, I like Harry Potter (among other things) and don't think it is unacceptable to read/watch because it is witchcraft, and yes...I'm vegetarian and I eat tofu, but that soymilk in the fridge doesn't mean I'm vegan (like it's a bad thing?) because if you'll notice, it is sitting next to a carton of eggs.
I am eager to hear misconceptions about myself, and eager to find out what my housemates are all about and shatter my misconception of them: Right-wing, blind Christian followers, intolerant, hypocritical, judgemental.
But wait...judgemental...aren't I? And don't two of them have the same ringtone as I do? And don't we all enjoy pulling little pranks on each other? I mean shouldn't our similarities overcome our differences? I really hope that they do.
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