Ok, that was the 4th quake I've felt since yesterday afternoon, and what was exciting and interesting the first time just ain't funny no more!

I am not a very religious person at all, not even as religious as some people think I am.  I definitely count my blessings, and I am constantly amazed at the wonders and mysteries of Life, the Universe, and Everything, but as far as having the answers to anything or agreeing wholeheartedly with those who claim to have the answers, I actively run with the skeptics.  I would never say you're wrong about your beliefs and faith, and I'm not in the "Oh yeah, then prove it" camp, it's more along the lines of we'll all eventually find out, one way or another, so let's enjoy and appreciate what we have in the here and now (and that includes faith and religion).

Getting to the point, I've never been a big Easter fan.  Love Palm Sunday, riding in on the donkey amidst adoring fans, the Beatitudes, water into wine*... The poignant, heart wrenching discussions with Pilate, disciples, and the Father, taking the ultimate step...  Love the empty tomb, the incredulous disciples ( What?!? You mean he did what he said he was gonna do even though we were thick-headed and couldn't follow his metaphors? Again?!?! )  and then walking along the country road with the dudes before heading up to prepare my mansion -- great stuff.

But the whole fixation on the suffering, the pain, the blood, the torture... nope, not my cup.  It's not being squeamish, I understand that horrific drama may be necessary to get a serious point across (i.e. Toni Morrison's Beloved) but I've heard pastors talk in detail about the agony and physical effects of crucifixion every sermon for a month of Sundays, as the saying goes, and Christmas pageants turned into Passion plays.  I understand the tradition behind the recreations, walking in His footsteps and realistically portraying the sacrifice required, but does Family Night at the Movies need to show Mel Gibson's Jesus movie at 5, 7, and 9:00 ("All His Blood and Gore Now in High Def!") ?

All I'm saying is, for me and mine, let's focus on the up, on the rebirth and renewal, on the hope.  Let's be aware of the good, the amazement, the potential that Easter and Spring and Faith can provide us.  We reminisce about our ancestors by telling stories of beans in a nose, meatloaf on the satellite dish, and orphans running the streets with Babe Ruth, not constantly discussing the way they died.  We honor our heroes with ceremonies solemn and severe, but then we revel in their deeds and their lives get larger in the telling, not their deaths.  We treasure the births of our children, their first words and steps, the classroom achievements and playground victories, and we retell those stories and every graduation, wedding, and even funeral because that is how we want to remember our loved ones and our lives shared with them, because that is how we want to carry them forward with us, whether they are physically near us or not.  We want to treasure the hope of the first baby steps, the victory of young adults venturing out into the world, the satisfaction of grandchildren.  We should not wallow in the pain and sacrifice it took to create the joy, but delightfully and jubilantly celebrate the joy itself.



*I confess, I may have some of the details/timeline mixed up, didn't do much fact checking.  I think I got the gist of the events.

very cool... did his mom yell at him for writing on the walls?
And is that R2D2 in the corner?

Just like drying off from the baptism while making out with the pastor's daughter, it didn't take me long to backslide and break my vow of anti-violence purity. Although to be fair, it wasn't a solemn vow or anything, just an ideal to aspire to... ok, ok, so I'm a hypocrite.  But I had to watch Lost, especially this close to the dramatic/traumatic ending of the series.  I have several years of confused viewing invested in this show, and a few more episodes of the smoke monster tossing airplanes full of people around the jungle won't kill hurt cause me discomfort...

So just what did I give up in my quest to be violence-free?

I stopped reading Stephen King's Gunslinger.  I've read a couple of graphic novels based on it, liked the mythology and the weirdness, but before the book was 1/4 way through the "hero" had shot down an entire town of men, women, and children.  Close book, return to Library unfinished.

I deleted The Killers from my daily playlist, but couldn't bring myself to delete them completely -- after all, "Mr. Brightside" "When You Were Young" and "Dustland Fairytale" sound like very anti-violence song titles ("Don't Shoot Me Santa"... not so much) -- absolutely definitely deleted my lone Marilyn Manson track, mainly on the grounds of his looks. Ug.

Other than that, Day 1 had no other clashes  encounters with violence.  Spent the day with the boys at Legoland (don't waste your time/money on the new aquarium) and then read a few Beverly Cleary books.  I already feel a bit more peace-filled. (deep, contented sigh)

This is hilarious... gotta try it some day!

watch owl eggs hatch live!  and watch mama owl eat a mouse.  Beware of the commentators, use full screen to avoid their potty mouths...

 The Amazing Fact Generator !-- get smarter, amaze your friends, impress your boss, win at Trivial Pursuit!*

*does anyone still play Trivial Pursuit?