vineri, octombrie 16, 2009
The Right to Happiness
Today I had lunch with a famous social psychologist, David Myers. He is known mostly for writing some of the best Introductory and Social Psychology textbooks out there. As most great people I've met in my field, he's humble, quiet, and listens more than he talks. Afterwards I read more about him and found out about his work on bridging scientific psychology to faith, something with which I've been struggling for a while. Here's an interview with him about what makes people happy and why marriage should be for everyone.
vineri, septembrie 04, 2009
Depeche Mode
I don't usually like big concerts, but this one was perfect. Dave was sexier than ever and we danced so much that I was sore.
marţi, septembrie 01, 2009
luni, august 31, 2009
Un unfair choice
For a while now, I have been struggling to make two things work - my religious beliefs and my social equality beliefs.
When we got married last year, I surprised myself and Michael with my strong desire to get married in the Eastern Orthodox Church. We had an American, non-religious ceremony, but I felt that a true marriage ceremony for me could not exist outside the church. Despite all complications, and thanks to wonderful people like padre Radomir, Ioana & Bogdan, and thanks to Michael's willingness to stand for many hours in a hot little church, confess his sins and endure other strange traditions for an American Protestant, we got married on July 20th, 2008. Seeing that the religious ceremony was so important to me, I tried to follow up with my religious practice and beliefs, by going to church and reading books. After my miscarriage, I talked to a priest here, in an attempt to understand things that I still don't understand. I went to church, confession, and even got communion before and during Easter. And still, through all this time, something keeps bothering me: a gay person, regardless of the strength of their faith, would never be able to do all this, unless they renounced their hope for a loving relationship. I truly believe that sexual orientation is not a choice. Why would anybody choose to take such a hard road, paved with internal struggles and hatred from others? It's not a lifestyle, it's wired in us. So unless you're part of some progressive Christian faiths, you're theoretically faced with a choice: if you want to be in a relationship, you can't participate in the life of the church; and if you want to be part of the church, you can't be part of an intimate relationship with the person you love. It's a choice that heterosexuals don't have to make.
I still don't know how to make sense of all this. I don't know what's right or wrong. All I know is that my heart goes to all those men and women who are torn between their faith and their love life. It must be tough.
When we got married last year, I surprised myself and Michael with my strong desire to get married in the Eastern Orthodox Church. We had an American, non-religious ceremony, but I felt that a true marriage ceremony for me could not exist outside the church. Despite all complications, and thanks to wonderful people like padre Radomir, Ioana & Bogdan, and thanks to Michael's willingness to stand for many hours in a hot little church, confess his sins and endure other strange traditions for an American Protestant, we got married on July 20th, 2008. Seeing that the religious ceremony was so important to me, I tried to follow up with my religious practice and beliefs, by going to church and reading books. After my miscarriage, I talked to a priest here, in an attempt to understand things that I still don't understand. I went to church, confession, and even got communion before and during Easter. And still, through all this time, something keeps bothering me: a gay person, regardless of the strength of their faith, would never be able to do all this, unless they renounced their hope for a loving relationship. I truly believe that sexual orientation is not a choice. Why would anybody choose to take such a hard road, paved with internal struggles and hatred from others? It's not a lifestyle, it's wired in us. So unless you're part of some progressive Christian faiths, you're theoretically faced with a choice: if you want to be in a relationship, you can't participate in the life of the church; and if you want to be part of the church, you can't be part of an intimate relationship with the person you love. It's a choice that heterosexuals don't have to make.
I still don't know how to make sense of all this. I don't know what's right or wrong. All I know is that my heart goes to all those men and women who are torn between their faith and their love life. It must be tough.
vineri, august 21, 2009
How it feels
You know how it feels? It feels like somebody took your soul, your being with all its dreams and plans, and just crumpled it in their hands, as hard as they could. Crumple, crumple, crumple. And then you spend months trying to smooth it over again. You flatten it over and over again, hoping it will one day be as smooth as it was before.
sâmbătă, august 15, 2009
miercuri, august 12, 2009
Little and Bog Things
Michael is sick and has a sexy voice.
I am going on the job market! I am going wild and applying everywhere I think there's a 5% chance we would live. That includes Hong Kong.
I've had bad luck with movies at the theater (500 Days of Summer, Away We Go), but good luck with DVDs at home (Something Like Happiness, Head-On, and even Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
School is starting on MONDAY! School should always start on September 15.
I am reading Anna Karenina in English. I wish I had it in Romanian.
I need a new musical obsession. I've been trying Andrew Bird, but he gets too whiny after a while, Regina Spektor, but she gets too peppy. Next try: Iggy Pop's French album inspired by a Michel Houellebecq book. If you have other suggestions, let me know.
A month ago I was sleeping under a mosquito net in a cottage by the Caribbean shore. In the morning I would make breakfast with fresh mangos and bananas that Michael picked from the trees around the cottage. After breakfast we'd lie by the pool or on a deserted beach and at dinner we'd eat fresh fish that was caught that same day. It still seems unreal.
I am tired of people saying "sorry" all the time, when it's not needed. Like walking by you in the sales section at Anthropology, or opening the restroom door from inside when you're trying to get in, or when they walk by you on the escalator.
I am going on the job market! I am going wild and applying everywhere I think there's a 5% chance we would live. That includes Hong Kong.
I've had bad luck with movies at the theater (500 Days of Summer, Away We Go), but good luck with DVDs at home (Something Like Happiness, Head-On, and even Forgetting Sarah Marshall)
School is starting on MONDAY! School should always start on September 15.
I am reading Anna Karenina in English. I wish I had it in Romanian.
I need a new musical obsession. I've been trying Andrew Bird, but he gets too whiny after a while, Regina Spektor, but she gets too peppy. Next try: Iggy Pop's French album inspired by a Michel Houellebecq book. If you have other suggestions, let me know.
A month ago I was sleeping under a mosquito net in a cottage by the Caribbean shore. In the morning I would make breakfast with fresh mangos and bananas that Michael picked from the trees around the cottage. After breakfast we'd lie by the pool or on a deserted beach and at dinner we'd eat fresh fish that was caught that same day. It still seems unreal.
I am tired of people saying "sorry" all the time, when it's not needed. Like walking by you in the sales section at Anthropology, or opening the restroom door from inside when you're trying to get in, or when they walk by you on the escalator.
Abonaţi-vă la:
Postări (Atom)
