There is a lot going on lately. It's the kind of "a lot going on" that makes me surprised to report that I don't have that same sense of gathering doom that I had last December... I'm just feeling tired.
For that reason I'm having a hard time focusing my thoughts enough to write. A few weeks ago I made a note to myself to write about milestones today. Because tomorrow marks my two-year anniversary of starting work with my current firm.
I will always remember this date because it is the day after September 11, and I don't think I'm alone in feeling differently about that date from how I feel about other dates. The numbers 9-11 are the same way.
And speaking of these things, of 9-11 and of milestones, this year marks 12 years since the quadruple plane crashes that, when you think about it, changed the world. Twelve years. Time doesn't stop, does it.
So last week I had my two-year performance review. Sitting there across the table from the partners it struck me how much I have changed since the first time I sat down across the table from them. And how many other things have changed.
For example, a point from my notes. Bishop's Café (the place I met J.) since two years ago has become a baked goods supplier, and the physical location has been replaced by The Well Coffeeshop. When elements of my life start to outlast each other it is a strange thing.
Along similar lines, I received a beautiful text message the other day from an old friend:
He was referring to the fall of our freshman year of college, when we were well-occupied writing new narratives for our lives and our relationships, when a lot of things changed, when we created the basis of the rest of our college career and the seeds of the stories about who we were to become, together.
But as you have just read, there are a lot of mythologies that started in the fall.
* * * * * * *
Yesterday I had a good talk with a faraway friend, and one thing that came up was spirituality. More specifically, what we talked about was our thirst for spiritual discovery, the quest for fulfillment; to us what is most important is not the discovery, but culling an insatiable spiritual appetite. We don't like to be too comfortable. We have trouble believing in comfortable things.
This may not surprise you, since I have been writing about things like entertaining angels and bringing J. to church and caring for the Earth -- but what I have really been wanting to write about lately is faith and church and religiosity.
...What was that about the season of our mythology?
This week I discovered that Pope Francis has a pretty fantastic Facebook page. Check this guy out. I'm not Catholic (and for some reason feel the need to say so) but I think this guy is pretty great. He seems so focused on that tricky "love" commandment, and on making the world a better place. I know that his every movement and every word that crosses his lips is probably carefully orchestrated, but I can get behind an image that is orchestrated to push the kind of change that saves us.
Pray for others, he says; pray for our loved ones and our leaders, our teachers and the weak, and for ourselves. Pray with perspective.
And then he says, "Make Christianity a way of life, not a label." Live like Jesus. No need to wear a sign; somehow people always recognized Jesus when he was in disguise.
And then there was the time he got a letter from a guy who was having trouble forgiving the men who killed his brother. That is some honest real-life humanity right there. And instead of judging this guy, and telling him something along the lines of, "Well, too bad, you gotta forgive them"... he cried, and called the guy at home, and said he's sorry and he feels the pain of the situation.
I love the way the author closes this article, too:
Worry. My mom and I have been talking about worrying a lot. Remember that part in the Bible where Jesus says, "Don't worry about food, clothes, shelter, money, or any of the stuff you spend all that time worrying about. Seriously. I got this." It's such a nice idea, but so much easier said than done.
That is one thing I loved about this interview I listened to twice all the way through this week (and once I only listened to a little bit of it). It's with a Lutheran pastor in Denver named Nadia Bolz-Weber, whose church is called the House of All Sinners and Saints -- so wonderfully inclusive. Toward the end of the segment she said, "If God's going to wait till I ["love my enemies" and] mean it, that's going to be a while."
We're all just human, and the best we can do is try. And I am trying so dang hard and trying to make the space around me better and hope that it ripples beyond my small circles of influence. After all, I am entertaining angels.
I get it from my dad, I think. He has been flying a lot lately and his favorite story this week is from his travels. As the plane rolled toward the gate, the stewardess was giving her standard closing speech:
* * * * * * *
Like second set of baby steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/theBabyStepsSaga! New posts show up there first, plus other articles about post-grad life, plus teasers and other important information. Thanks for reading! Tune in on Sunday night for this week's All Good Things list, and next Wednesday for more reflections on being a "new adult."
For that reason I'm having a hard time focusing my thoughts enough to write. A few weeks ago I made a note to myself to write about milestones today. Because tomorrow marks my two-year anniversary of starting work with my current firm.
I will always remember this date because it is the day after September 11, and I don't think I'm alone in feeling differently about that date from how I feel about other dates. The numbers 9-11 are the same way.
And speaking of these things, of 9-11 and of milestones, this year marks 12 years since the quadruple plane crashes that, when you think about it, changed the world. Twelve years. Time doesn't stop, does it.
So last week I had my two-year performance review. Sitting there across the table from the partners it struck me how much I have changed since the first time I sat down across the table from them. And how many other things have changed.
For example, a point from my notes. Bishop's Café (the place I met J.) since two years ago has become a baked goods supplier, and the physical location has been replaced by The Well Coffeeshop. When elements of my life start to outlast each other it is a strange thing.
Along similar lines, I received a beautiful text message the other day from an old friend:
"The season of our mythology is upon us."
He was referring to the fall of our freshman year of college, when we were well-occupied writing new narratives for our lives and our relationships, when a lot of things changed, when we created the basis of the rest of our college career and the seeds of the stories about who we were to become, together.
But as you have just read, there are a lot of mythologies that started in the fall.
* * * * * * *
Yesterday I had a good talk with a faraway friend, and one thing that came up was spirituality. More specifically, what we talked about was our thirst for spiritual discovery, the quest for fulfillment; to us what is most important is not the discovery, but culling an insatiable spiritual appetite. We don't like to be too comfortable. We have trouble believing in comfortable things.
This may not surprise you, since I have been writing about things like entertaining angels and bringing J. to church and caring for the Earth -- but what I have really been wanting to write about lately is faith and church and religiosity.
...What was that about the season of our mythology?
This week I discovered that Pope Francis has a pretty fantastic Facebook page. Check this guy out. I'm not Catholic (and for some reason feel the need to say so) but I think this guy is pretty great. He seems so focused on that tricky "love" commandment, and on making the world a better place. I know that his every movement and every word that crosses his lips is probably carefully orchestrated, but I can get behind an image that is orchestrated to push the kind of change that saves us.
Pray for others, he says; pray for our loved ones and our leaders, our teachers and the weak, and for ourselves. Pray with perspective.
And then he says, "Make Christianity a way of life, not a label." Live like Jesus. No need to wear a sign; somehow people always recognized Jesus when he was in disguise.
And then there was the time he got a letter from a guy who was having trouble forgiving the men who killed his brother. That is some honest real-life humanity right there. And instead of judging this guy, and telling him something along the lines of, "Well, too bad, you gotta forgive them"... he cried, and called the guy at home, and said he's sorry and he feels the pain of the situation.
I love the way the author closes this article, too:
You know, many folks are worried about Pope Francis. Worried for his safety, worried about his orthodoxy, worried about his sincerity, etc. I’m not worried about any of these things, and I don’t think Pope Francis is either. I think Pope Francis has chosen the greater part, and it is not to be taken away from him.
Worry. My mom and I have been talking about worrying a lot. Remember that part in the Bible where Jesus says, "Don't worry about food, clothes, shelter, money, or any of the stuff you spend all that time worrying about. Seriously. I got this." It's such a nice idea, but so much easier said than done.
That is one thing I loved about this interview I listened to twice all the way through this week (and once I only listened to a little bit of it). It's with a Lutheran pastor in Denver named Nadia Bolz-Weber, whose church is called the House of All Sinners and Saints -- so wonderfully inclusive. Toward the end of the segment she said, "If God's going to wait till I ["love my enemies" and] mean it, that's going to be a while."
We're all just human, and the best we can do is try. And I am trying so dang hard and trying to make the space around me better and hope that it ripples beyond my small circles of influence. After all, I am entertaining angels.
I get it from my dad, I think. He has been flying a lot lately and his favorite story this week is from his travels. As the plane rolled toward the gate, the stewardess was giving her standard closing speech:
"You'll find your bags at baggage carousel 6. If you are making a connection, please check the flight information on the screens at the gate. Thank you for flying with us today. Enjoy your stay, and be kind to one another."
* * * * * * *
Like second set of baby steps on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/theBabyStepsSaga! New posts show up there first, plus other articles about post-grad life, plus teasers and other important information. Thanks for reading! Tune in on Sunday night for this week's All Good Things list, and next Wednesday for more reflections on being a "new adult."
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