Looking through all of my various social media sites I have, there seems to be a cookie cutter "bio" that I write. It only states facts, not how I feel about things. Of course, I express who I am on Facebook, through the memes I post, music videos, animal photos/videos, bad puns, and the wacky things that go through my head. But there still isn't a totally clear picture, is there? So I thought I'd write more about me...how I feel, my beliefs, and possibly my background. I have written a bunch on my bipolar, but that is a disease I suffer from, not who I am. I hope you find this somewhat interesting. In thinking what I was going to write, I found myself a wee bit idealistic. But I am human, and I am nowhere near the idealism that I do believe in. Sometimes the world gets in the way.
My family and friends mean the world to me. I'm not the easiest person to get along with, and it means more to me that they have stuck by me. My Mom raised my sister and me in my Grandparents' home. We were a very tight-knit family and I grew up with all my aunts, uncles, and cousins nearby. My friends mean more to me than I can ever properly express. I'd like to think that I make a good friend, but it would be up to them to decide. I know I try. I always try and be there if they need me, and if I had an endless supply of money, I would share it all with them.
I don't believe that the words "stupid," "idiot," "dumb, "moron," etc. should be used to describe a person, and I am very cognizant of this. I believe that all people are as intelligent as they are meant to be. I also don't think it's fair to compare one person to another. This goes for intelligence, emotions, the way they cope with stress, etc. I do think that actions or words can be "stupid," "idiot," "dumb," "moronic."
The same goes for mental health terms, but I have a few blogs on that if you are interested.
You will also never hear me say anything that is derogatory towards any disability, ethnicity, religion, and sexual identity. One of the words I really hate is "retard." Or any other prefix you can attach to "tard." I had a friend in school who had a mental disability and heard this constantly. I also saw how it hurt her.
Judging others also bugs the doo doo out of me. We don't know a person's circumstances, or what they've been through. Again, judge the actions. When I find myself judging a person on something and catch myself, I try and come up with alternatives for why the person did or said what they did. There is a line in "To Kill A Mockingbird" (my favorite book, by the way) where Atticus is explaining to Scout that she has to walk around in another person's shoes to try and understand what that person may be going through. This conversation happened after her first day at school where she was reprimanded by the teacher, who was new to the town, and Walter Cunningham, a poor boy that lived on the farm and couldn't afford lunch. That is something that always stuck with me.
Death is never funny, under any circumstances. You're probably going "Well, duh!" but there is more to it. When Osama bin Laden was killed, I sat here watching TV, and just didn't feel comfortable with all the partying going on. Don't get me wrong on this, he was an evil man and the earth is definitely better off without him. However, he had family and friends that cared about him. The same goes for murderers and serial killers too. When they die on death row, there still is family and friends who loved that person. People hurt on both sides. The only thing that should be celebrated with death is that they are now in a better place.
I am a Christian. However, I don't believe in any denominational physical church. The church I grew up in was amazing. We went to Sunday morning services and groups and dinner on Wednesday night. Since then I haven't had the best of luck. We got involved in a church when we moved down to Florida. I didn't go on Sundays because I have a thing about mornings. But I went to Wednesday night Bible study. The pastor, was usually good, he would get exasperated when I wanted one of my animals to be held up in prayer. The church was The Vineyard. It was founded by a producer for the Everly Brothers. The only thing that was required was to believe in the Bible, and that music was important to worship. There was a great group of people there, and it was something I could get used too. I even decided to get baptized. Then the proverbial shoe dropped. Our beloved Pastor was taking money from the church to pay for his mortgage and a new water heater. Not only that, but he removed our church from The Vineyard without telling any of the congregation. We stopped going. Mom has found another church now, and it sounds cool. I am thinking about it.
So I read the Bible on my own. I worship Him in every creation that is on this planet. I uphold Him by how I live my life. Being kind, compassionate, generous, helpful, empathetic and honest is very important to me. And I pray. Constantly. I have conversations with Him. And I look in wonder at what He's done when I see the perfection and intelligence of an animal, or the endless expanse of the ocean when I go to the beach. I believe in the really humongous miracles that no one can explain, and the tiny miracle of hearing an owl at night. I am endlessly amazed at His creation.
Another reason why I dislike organized churches is because there are a lot of Christians that are too busy criticizing every conceived sin that offends them that they don't see the sin they are committing. If Jesus were to come today, he would be executed by "Christians" just like he was before. In the book "Mere Christianity," C.S. Lewis wrote something to the effect that there are going to be a lot of "Christians" that will find themselves in hell wondering how they got there, and there are going to be some people from remote, isolated tribe in the Amazon who find themselves in heaven any wonder why. I believe that is true.
Another thing that bothers me (we're getting all of this negative stuff our of the way. I promise things will get better!) is ignorance. And I will call it out if I see it. I simply think that if somebody sees a meme that states something "factual" on Facebook, for example, that they should do a little research before posting it. I do that before I post a meme like that. And if someone corrects me, I will be the first one to say I was wrong (and if it's an opinion, I usually don't comment. And debates can get fun.) I usually have a strong opinion about it.) There is no reason in this day and age that you shouldn't know the facts when all you need to do is look it up on the Internet. If it's important enough for you to post, it's important enough to check the facts. Also, if you post a meme that is not only wrong but is hateful, I will also call you out. It is not okay to make hate driven posts at the expense of a specific group of people or person. I believe that what is posted on Facebook reflects on yourself. So if there is something that you don't identify with (I ALWAYS skip memes that mention "stupid people," no matter how funny I think it is) then don't post them. My beliefs will not let me stand by and post such hate. Part of it is my revulsion, and part is that I hope by pointing it out, the person who posted it will understand.
This deserves a line all its own. When I post political memes and it says "Republicans" or I say "Republicans," I am referring to the Republican LEADERSHIP. I have a lot of family and friends that are Republicans. I love them, and would never criticize them like that.
What next? POLITICS!! I am a Democrat. However, I do not have a problem voting across the aisle if I think that candidate is the best one. I research policies and positions and watch a lot of TV on the elections. I voted for Charlie Crist for Governor when he ran (before he went, Democrat.) As for this year's General, I really wish that Kasich had made it. He was the best of the bunch. So since I'm a Democrat, I do have some liberal ideals...
Abortion: I am Pro-Choice. Not because I believe in abortion - I don't. But because I don't think society, and especially a group of men should interfere with a woman's right to do what she thinks is best. I also think that the attack on Planned Parenthood is a bunch of BS. The government can't fund abortions, so when Republican lawmakers want to defund Planned Parenthood, they are defunding the low-cost care that women and men can get at the clinics. Cancer screenings, pap smears, STD treatment, birth control, pre-abortion counseling before, family planning, adoption referral, wellness exams...they are all provided by Planned Parenthood. If the facility has the option of abortion, the woman has to pay for it.
Gun control: Yes, I believe in the 2nd Amendment. No, I don't think your guns should be taken away. Yes, I am frightened of them. Yes, I believe that you don't need submachine guns and semi-They have no use in protecting your house or hunting. YES, I believe in more comprehensive background checks. This includes criminal background checks, history of domestic violence, or mental illness, and a psychological examination. There should be mandatory classes and licenses issued after practical and written exams (like when you get your driver's license.) And carry insurance. Loopholes should be closed. And yes, I realize that this will not stop criminals from getting a hold of guns or gun violence, but I would like to think that if this was implemented, maybe some of the mass shootings wouldn't have happened.
I feel strongly about the Constitution as well. Especially the 1st Amendment. I may not like what you have to say, but you have the right. You also have to be responsible for the consequences of what you say. Just as I have too. And I'm a real stickler for Separation of Church and State. Our Founders wanted to make this a country with no national religion. They had good examples to look on in the 18th century. Just look at what happened with King Henry the VIII and the Church of England. Some of the first people to come over here were basically forced out of their home countries. Puritans, Huguenots, Jews, and other religions all came here to practice their religion freely. Thomas Jefferson had a Qur'an even. They knew that if this country declared Christianity as a state religion, that it would doom us. So, no, you can't have religion in public school. If you don't like that, you can homeschool your kid or enroll him in a parochial school. If right Christian extremists insist on having Christianity in public schools, then every other religion has a right to be there too. That includes the Satanic Temple, The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, Islam, Jews, Hindu, Buddhism, etc. This also applies to any Christian display on public land. Schools, unless they are parochial, have enough on their plate with teaching our children, they don't need the extra burden of teaching Christian tenets. Religion or no religion should be taught at home. That is where a kid gets his moral compass from.
Now on to pleasant stuff! I LOVE to read. My all time favorite is "To Kill A Mockingbird." I'm also a Harry Potter geek, a Lord of the Rings geek, and a Chronicles of Narnia geek, and a Twilight geek. I love historical fiction (Edward Rutherfurd, Leon Uris, and James Michener especially,) and anything by Anne Rice. And I love Young Readers books on vampires, witches, etc. I read a lot of nonfiction as well. Anything that gets my attention, I usually read a book on it. That includes religion, politics, history, how something works, etc. I'm not really into poems, but I do love Edgar Allan Poe. And the goth books..."Dracula," "Frankenstein," "Jekyll and Hyde." I can thank my Mom for this. She read to us when we were little, and always encouraged us as we grew up. It was a gift!
I am a BIG history geek. I haven't come across a time I wasn't interested in. I love Jewish history (though it isn't a pleasant history, to say the least,) religious (any religion,) Civil War (specifically Abraham Lincoln,) the Tudor Dynasty, medieval, ancient times, especially Egyptian, American Revolution and the different presidents. Again, I will read/watch anything I find interesting.
I love to write (noo, really?) Mostly I journal. There's nothing like getting your aggression out than calling everything and everyone every name in the book. I goof around with poems...I make up "Roses are Red..." poems, and put together tongue-tying rhymes. I started this blog so I could write, however, it took awhile to really use it. I used to write articles for my reptile group, and I'm sure I will again. Right now I'm on sabbatical from writing. I hope to write a story sometime soon. My Step-Grandma used to tell me to write a book. Everytime I saw her, "Write a book!!" I just don't know quite how. Character structure, plot, etc. It all goes over my head.
MUSIC...I know this is far down here. But seriously, I can't live without it. My absolute favorite band is Bon Jovi, but I love so many different bands, too many to name. When I was in my 20's, I followed the rock bands Slaughter and Firehouse. It was amazing. My friends and I followed the bus, got a discount at the hotels, got into the shows, and got to hang out. It was so much fun, and it is something I miss. The guys were so cool with us being there and I learned a lot about the industry. Sometimes we helped sell merchandise or took them out of errands. The best thing about it is that some of my closest friends I met through music, concerts, etc. For me, music not only calms me, but it has gotten me through some of the roughest moments of my life.
I also love photography, especially at concerts. I think I mostly see the show through my camera lens. But I also love to take pictures of animals, nature, old cemeteries (I once found a Confederate grave,) my friends, my Mom, family, and anything that catches my fancy. Up until two years ago, I didn't have a smartphone. I don't take many selfies (still can't figure out where to look when taking one,) but it's cool to take pictures outside. We live out in the country, there is always something to take a picture of.
I LOVE ANIMALS!!! Mom has always maintained that from the time I learned to walk, I started chasing ducks. When I was three, we got our first cat. I've had hamsters, hermit crabs, and fish. I currently have four cats, 2 snakes, and 1 lizard. If I had my way, there'd be a whole lot more here. Up in Illinois, I worked for a vet for four years. I loved that job, except, of course, when we had to put an animal down. I also did dog-sitting for a few months. I loved doing that because it was fun to go in and get greeted by adorable dogs. I can't go by a dog without asking to pet it. I have no problem in picking up dogs that are running on the road. One time, we ended up with a blind German shepherd overnight. He had busted out of his collar. He was reunited with his family the next day. Otherwise, I was going to rally hard on keeping him. I will stop to help any animal on the road, much to my Mom's dismay. I love watching videos and seeing pictures. I can't imagine living without my critters, and I will never give them up. I made a promise with them when I brought them home...that they will be loved and taken care of for the rest of their lives.
Now some random things. I love the color purple, in case you didn't notice. I have a wacky sense of humor and can be sarcastic. I lean more on the artistic side, but I'm also extremely analytical. I notice mini scale things, and if I watch a show over and over (marathon reruns!) I will notice things that don't fit, or mistakes, like objects being moved. Speaking of which, I still don't understand how the "genius" Dr. Spencer Reid on Criminal Minds can mispronounce "Samhain" so badly!! I have a horrible sense of direction. I'm serious...it's bad. Don't give me directions and say north, south, east, west...I need landmarks, exit numbers, etc. I even screw up going to places I go to all the time...or go sailing past our house. Though I'm pretty sure I can find that really cool Mexican restaurant in St. Augustine. I am left-handed (only 10% of the population is) and I have green eyes (only 2%,) so I am rare!! I'm a Pisces and I love to swim. I want to come back to earth with enough money to have a pool. I have picked up some of my Grandpa's more "endearing" qualities. I have a habit of yelling obscenities at the TV, my stubbornness, but also my creative side.
I have to keep myself away from jewelry sections and pens. The pens are more recent, however. I took up coloring at the beginning of the year.
I think this is enough for now. I hope you aren't asleep right now. This got wordier than I thought it would.
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