Religion in America

Why is it that the people who have some of the most thoughtful things to say are some of the quietest? I've been exploring religion for years and have experimented with many--buddism, wicca, shamanism, agnosticism, etc.--and finally realized that I am really and truly an atheist. And I'm pretty happy with that realization. But in figuring this out, I came to realize that I'm hesitant to share it with people. Now, I've met very few Christians who are shy about sharing their religion. In fact, they tend to be quite out-going (no criticism implied there just observation). Yet, it's taken me over a year to gt comfortable with the notion of sharing what I believe. I'm not embarrassed at all, and I'm not even concerned about harassment. So, what's my issue? I haven't figured it out yet, but for now, I'm pushing myself to be open and honest about it. I've found some great atheist groups on-line and am reading some wonderful books, too. But no one has yet answered the question of why atheists in general are so hesitant to share. That's not to say there aren't lots of theories! And I have also met several atheists lately who are anything but shy and hesitant. Odd.

Women and Weight

What is it about the fall that makes it so difficult to maintain your weight? And I'm not talking about Halloween candy or Thanksgiving feasts--I seem to have gained eight pounds in the last two months, and I can't figure out how. I didn't have any candy! And it's not like the weather is so cold that I'm hibernating, either. I'm trying so hard not to complain in front of my daughter, as I don't want to teach her to obsess about her weight--but boy, am I frustrated!

Fear mongering

Why is it that people cannot seem to have an honest disagreement about issues, without falling back on insults and fear mongering? I was dropping my daughter off at school today, and heard an ad on the radio. The ad said something to the effect of "there are serious threats from Al Qaeda regarding attacks on US soil. The other candidates are focused on the environment and universal health care coverage. I am the only candidate who will make these threats the priority." He basically went on to say that all our problems will be solved if we simply get rid of illegal immigrants, arrest everyone who disagrees with him, and ignore any issue not related to terrorist threats. Hmmm. . .I think there's a word to describe this view. DICTATOR. And yet, there will be hundreds of people who fall behind this guy, simply because he makes them fearful. He's a waste of space. In fact, his views could perhaps be seen as threatening. So now who's the terrorist?

Published!

I finally "published" my first three articles as an adult (I had some stuff in the newspaper as a high school student). I use the quotes because while I am enjoying the site that published my articles, it's not quite on par with, say, a major magazine or newspaper. But it's a start! And I am learning so much about the process of putting together an article for publication.

My writing experience has been mostly focused on the corporate kind (proposals, requirements, business cases, etc.), as well as the writing I did in college and grad school. I've also done some web content, but I'm learning a lot about how I can improve that, as well. It's really quite exciting, although I am working hard to tamp down the feeling of "I don't want to practice and learn--I just want to know how to do this RIGHT NOW!"

I published my three articles, and then I had an assignment to write a web page. It's amazing how much better the web page content is now that I've been studying the process of publishing on the internet. Must run to learn more now!

Where to begin

My beloved husband has listened to me talk about writing and wanting to become a real writer for years. He built me a lovely blog--which I have yet to write in--to encourage me. And now, months and three jobs later, I'm finally trying my hand at blogging. In a blog I built myself, no less.

I'm not sure why I had to put this blog together in order to begin writing, and I'm even less sure about what to write/say, but here I am, making an attempt at something that seems incredibly odd. Where does blogging fit into my life? I hate phones, but I'm quite content with email, not to mention the occasional hand-written card, sent with actual postage via the USPS. And does writing in a blog count as staying in touch with people? It seems strangely distant and disconnected. Perhaps I need to view it more as a party, where you don't always get to speak to everyone as much as you might like, but when you look back on the photos, you can piece together the whole of the event. Hmm.

So, this is my first post, and I'm ready to log off my computer for a while. Ciao!