Wednesday, October 28, 2009

Food

With a microwave-fried egg, a piece of crystallized ginger, several spoonfuls of ice cream, a cinnamon roll, and a cup of hot pomegranate tea for breakfast, what could possibly go wrong today?

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Contingency

Have you ever noticed how everything is dependent on everything else? No one ever proved conclusively that risibility is an attribute of God, but the adage of Him laughing at your plans makes complete sense when you consider that He knows everything going on in every place, the thoughts in every person's mind before they are even thought, the future and the past, all in a dense, dynamic, and simple act of knowledge. Well, that's God. We, on the other hand, know nothing. It's as if we have a page of a book with small print thrust right up against our nose. If we squint and really try, we can imagine we make out a word or two. Then we say, "Aha, with this word or two, I now know the entire story written in this book. Let me now act upon it!" OK, I know not everyone thinks this way--some wise people realize how minuscule their knowledge is--but you have to admit it's a temptation. So, here in my mind are some plans. I know they are contingent, I know it's unlikely they will come to anything, but nevertheless: here they are.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Allowed

I am allowed to feel how I feel. I have to be allowed, or else I would be in an extremely dicey situation, always disobeying a rule it is impossible for me to obey. I can, of course, try to change the way I feel. But I can't change the way I feel by denying I feel a certain way in the first place. Then I have no starting point. Sometimes if you leave it alone, it will go away. On the other hand, sometimes it doesn't. I'm beginning to wonder if I need a fresh change.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Moments with Christendom Friends

I announce to a room full of people, "I'd like to marry a guy who can beat the crap out of someone else, but doesn't actually do anything like that." I receive several nods, and then a couple of my hearers go on to define in what way one can be said to be prepared to beat the crap out of someone, whether physically or mentally, and how the potential for that kind of action can be gauged. Later, I discuss with one of the guys how the passion of anger ties in to the ability for quick and retributive action in such a case. These types of moments are commonplace when your guy friends have bachelors' degrees from Christendom College.