Staying Safe Among Snakes
One of the things I learned back in college which has helped to keep me safe among snakes for decades now is that sociopaths will pressure you into doing something you are uncomfortable with as a prelude to abuse. It will frequently be something which seems small or which another person might do without thinking, but it will be something that you have some unease … Continue reading Staying Safe Among Snakes
American Christianity Inc. is Bull
The Fragility of Our Dominant Culture
True story: someone I’m connected with on facebook just posted an article claiming that “radical leftists” were guilty of shutting down discourse by insisting on trigger warnings, safe spaces and calling out micro-aggressions. I responded that this was bullshit. None of those things actually shut down discourse. People disagreed. I stood my ground. So the person who claimed that “radical leftists” were shutting down discourse … Continue reading The Fragility of Our Dominant Culture
#stopempoweringsociopaths
There are sociopaths among us. And if we pretend that there are not, if we insist that everyone just assume the best and look for the good no matter the evidence, we leave ourselves vulnerable to being manipulated by them. Do you know how you dis-empower sociopaths? You make it impossible for them to act on their sociopathic tendencies without being detected. You don’t dismiss … Continue reading #stopempoweringsociopaths
If you really want to love people . . .
If you really want to love people, probably the most important thing you can do is learn to recognize when someone is in pain. This isn’t as easy as it sounds. Pain often sounds like anger, like a bad attitude, like defensiveness, like hostility, like self-pity or withdrawal. But if you respond to the pain underneath and offer patient grace for the anger, attitude, hostility … Continue reading If you really want to love people . . .
Wait – I thought Racial Discrimination Was Illegal. Silly Me
Very early in his career, my (African American) husband was on a temp-to-hire job doing complex data analysis – something he excels at. He had a 60 day review which was outstanding and his boss commented on how quickly he was performing as well or better than long time employees in the same position. Typically the 90 day trail period they put new employees through … Continue reading Wait – I thought Racial Discrimination Was Illegal. Silly Me
Donald Trump is the Kim Kardasian of Politics
And speaking of being a libraturd, I am inordinately proud of this. Lord have mercy. Continue reading Donald Trump is the Kim Kardasian of Politics
In Which I Own the Libraturd Title
I’ve avoided nearly all hot-button cultural and political topics around here for many years now. And I don’t write screeds about how terrible other people’s theology or morality is. Yet, somehow, the overwhelming majority of people who have responded to my writing are not, shall we say, politically conservative. I used to be conservative, but reading the bible has a funny way of changing that, … Continue reading In Which I Own the Libraturd Title
Don’t Be Like Joe
Back in college, I had a friend named Joe. He was funny and smart and deep. And he wore Hawaiian shirts with mismatched print sleep pants, so even better. But from time to time Joe would do something incredibly stupid. One time, after he told me the story of how something he had done had gone all to shit, I asked him, “what did you … Continue reading Don’t Be Like Joe
A Thanksgiving Blessing
I said to my soul, be still, and wait without hope For hope would be hope for the wrong thing; wait without love For love would be love of the wrong thing; there is yet faith But the faith and the love and the hope are all in the waiting. Wait without thought, for you are not ready for thought: So the darkness shall be … Continue reading A Thanksgiving Blessing
The Upside Down World 