VAcation

Today I got to look out over this:

Thomas Jefferson's beautiful Monticello on a gorgeous day!

You should be very very jealous.  I love Thomas Jefferson, and the Old Dominion.  Which is why I am taking a VAcation and touring history sites in Southern Virginia this week.  I'm sure I'll be back next Monday with insights into our modern day religious and political battles from studying the past centuries' conflicts and collaborations.  Maybe Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and the rest still have some wisdom to share.  I sure hope so, as politics seems so petty recently.

Wandering through the Woods at Monticello

I walked down from Monticello today through the forest, and it felt so peaceful and unencumbered.  Like I was whole, and life is good.  Sunlight filtered through the trees, birds called to each other, and bees danced lazily among the flowers.  IF I could write poetry, I would write it about moments like that.  I am a suburban girl, but I'm pretty sure that I would trade that all in to live in a broom cupboard at Monticello and ramble through the woods at will. In fact, during the behind the scenes tour, I spotted a few broom cupboards on the third floor which would just suit my fancy.

Old Growth Forest at Montpelier, home of James Madison

Honor Guard of pretty trees on the drive up to Ashlawn-Highland, home of James Monroe

Something about driving through the rolling hills of Virginia farm country has been restorative and enjoyable.  So far I've seen the homes of three Presidents, and enjoyed some truly spectacular autumnal weather.  Isn't "autumnal" one of the most beautiful words in the English language?

First one to comment gets a postcard :)

Apology Tour

Every six months or so, I feel compelled to admit: I'm not a very good friend.  Maybe someday, I will master that elusive "work-life balance."  I will figure out how to keep in touch with long-lost friends, return phone calls and Facebook messages, do my visiting teaching, actually *try* to fulfill my calling, and reach out to friends who I know could use extra love during the hectic tax accounting busy season.  But I find it really difficult, even when I do have time, to muster the energy for a long phone conversation or even a Facebook wall message, when what I'd really rather do is sit in front of the TV (or better yet, sleep).

But after every tax deadline, I have to say: I'm sorry!  It feels like an "apology tour" but instead of saying it to your face, I will just say it here and post this to Facebook.  I'm sorry I haven't responded to you, friends.  I will try to be a better friend, now that I'm FREE.



Happy Tax Day!  (Don't worry, individual taxes aren't due til October 15th!)

True Blue

Joseph F. Smith (a former President of the Mormon church - along with Joseph Smith and Joseph Fielding Smith) was once accosted by a group of drunken men who pointed a gun at him and asked "Are you a Mormon?"  Joseph responded "Yes siree; dyed in the wool, true blue, through and through."  The man was surprised and said: "Well, you are the … pleasantest man I ever met! Shake, young fellow, I am glad to see a man that stands up for his convictions" (quoted from "Lesson 20: Joseph F. Smith-A Voice of Courage" in  The Presidents of the Church: Teachers Manual).

I doubt very much that anyone will hold a gun to my head and ask me to choose a political party.  But, if they did, the political conventions over the past two weeks reminded me that I am a True Blue Democrat.  Lately I've been wondering if maybe I just wanted to join some kind of non-partisan group urging greater political civility.  But, I realized as I watched both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions that I am simply a liberal.  It's who I agree with, for the most part.  This was especially evident to me as I watched my favorite speech, linked below:



Now, my logical brain (and reading the fact checking websites) will tell me that there are points in the speech where Clinton stretched the facts (just as Obama, Ryan, and Romney did).  But my heart and emotional connection was with him the whole time.  I loved this speech!  So, yes, I'm a true-blue Democrat.  The problem is that there are Really Red Republicans too.  How can we ever hope to work together when we stand so far apart in political philosophy?  The end of this Washington Post article expresses the same frustration - it talks about the difficulty of fact checking someone's politics:

"One can question some of the specific claims, such as billionaires paying a lower tax rate than their secretaries. (The data show that is not especially common, just as the data suggest that voter fraud, a major concern of Republicans, happens only on rare occasions.) But it is virtually impossible — and probably foolhardy — to fact-check such deeply held beliefs."

How can we overcome this?  I guess by realizing that even if we are True Blue Democrats or Really Red Republicans, that there's an illogical and emotional component to our arguments.  By giving up some things we want to get things we need.  In a religious context, this is called sacrifice.  In political terms, it's compromise.  Either way, it means giving up some of the things we might really believe are good and doing what is necessary.

Anyways, I am EXCITED about this election, and excited about re-electing Barack Obama!  I'm True Blue, Through and Through!!!

Adult Themes

Being an adult is highly overrated.  You have to do your own laundry, cook your own meals, buy gas, pay utility bills, go to work, and generally do other "adult" things that do not generally make it into X-rated movies (not that I would know).  When I was a child, I thought that being an adult would be awesome.  I could do anything I wanted!  I could drive!  I could eat chocolate for breakfast (and sometimes I do)!  I could stay out after curfew!  Sure, some of these things are fun, but somewhere along the line, being an adult became less fun and more responsibility.

One of the most difficult things for me about gaining adulthood (at least in age, if not maturity) is learning to deal with nuance.  I like my world divided into black and white, with stark lines between good and evil.  Obviously, sometimes it is!  But as I grow up, I find that often, the world isn't as black and white as I would like it to be.  There is gray in the world, and it's learning to live with that and understand it that really makes you an adult, in my opinion.  I was reminded of this by a song from "The King and I" called "A Puzzlement" (YouTube video linked below).

The line "There are times I almost think I am not sure of what I absolutely know" has resonated with me.  I can't speak for others, but for myself the world gets a lot more confusing when I try to see others' points of view or understand complex, non-black-and-white issues.  So often in politics, people seem SURE that they have the right answer and there is only ONE right answer.  We are right, they say, and the "other" party is completely wrong.  

Of course this was on display at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, and I'm sure it will feature prominently at the Democratic one in Charlotte this week.  Republicans blasted Democratic ideas and policies as failures and blamed them basically for everything bad that happened in the last four years.  Both sides seem determined to demolish the other party, and are not interested in governing or compromising with them.  However, by demonizing your opponents, you make both sides more ideologically entrenched and unwilling to give quarter.  This just further reduces the level of honest debate that we can have, meanwhile turning off people from the political process.

The truth is, this country is pretty evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, and you are never going to get the other party to go away.  Ignoring them and assuming that their ideas don't count will not make them go away.  You are holding on to a black and white world in which all members of your party are saints and the other party is full of heretics and devils.  It's childish.  There was a depressing article in the NY Times Magazine recently - "Feel the Loathing on the Campaign Trail."  One of the anecdotes featured the author questioning the Democrats on what made them think that the Republicans in congress were any more likely to work with Obama if he won re-election.  Their response was to say "Our winning will teach them a lesson."

Somehow, I don't think either the Republicans or Democrats are likely to "grow up" and learn that lesson, no matter who wins in November.  Neither party seems willing to govern and compromise with the other side.  But instead of blaming the other side, let's work on our OWN attitudes.  WE can start by trying earnestly to listen to the other side and see the good in it.  By trying to accept that we don't have all the answers, and that there are plenty of good and bad ideas in both parties.  That's why I watched so much of the Republican National Convention over the past week - I really do think that some of the ideas they have are good, and I hope Obama will listen too.  

If you missed it because it wasn't in primetime (unlike a ridiculous, chair-wielding maniac Hollywood star who shall remain in the priceless hands of the late-night comedians), here was my favorite part of the convention, where some ordinary Mormons got to talk about how Mitt Romney helped them when he was their Bishop - I found it very moving.  It was nice to hear from some ordinary people who seem real.

Mitt really does seem like a good guy - which is why I'm not voting for him, I want him to have plenty of time to serve in his church callings (wink, wink).

How Far We've Come

Well, depending on how much free time I have in the coming days, I might blog about the Republican National Convention, but for now, here's one of my favorite songs by my favorite high school band (what can I say?  I remain loyal to my high school loves).

And They Shall Run...

Have you ever seen the movie "Dinner for Schmucks"?  There is a part in the movie where Steve Carrell's character (Barry) unknowingly truncates a quote from the song "Imagine" by John Lennon.

Barry: In the words of John Lennon, "you may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not."

Tim: ...the only one.
Barry: The only what?
Tim: No, that's the lyric: "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one."
Barry: Oh, OK Tim.

I thought (and still think) that this quote is hilarious.  "You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not."  

Lately I have been thinking a lot about the promise contained in Doctrine & Covenants 89:20, "And they shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint."  This promise is given in relation to the Word of Wisdom (aka the Mormon Law of Health - no tea/coffee/tobacco, eat your veggies, eat meat sparingly).  The reason I've been thinking about this is that lately I have felt like this:

Running.  Running all the time but not getting anywhere I want to be.  In other  words, I'm getting in the running but still feeling weary.  Why isn't this promise coming true for me (besides the fact that I could be better at the eating veggies and little meat part of the word of wisdom)?  Well, I think it's connected to another verse about running, found in the Book of Mormon.  King Benjamin teaches in Mosiah 4:27: "And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order."  So we can only be blessed with a weary-free life if we are not trying to run faster than we have strength to run.  This probably goes back to my genetic inability to say "no" to things.  You might say that "I'm Just a Girl Who Cain't Say No."

So maybe I just need to learn to say "no" to things when I already have a lot on my plate and am feeling overwhelmed.  This doesn't seem very likely, but it has to be better than the weariness that has seeped into my bones.  I just don't know what to give up on!  I need to remember that the Word of Wisdom says that we need to both run AND walk.  Sometimes we need to take life slow even if there are many many good things we could be running around doing.

After re-reading this post, I am also reminded of what of the most unpleasant aspects of my personality - I have a tendency to wallow in my problems.  If I feel weary and over-run, it is my own fault.  

It reminds me of a scene in "The Grapes of Wrath" where Tom Joad meets a man with only one eye.  The man is complaining about his status in life and wallowing in his own self-created misery because he hates his life.  Tom responds: "Now look-a-here, fella.  You got that eye wide open.  An' ya dirty, ya stink.  Ya' just askin' for it.  Ya like it.  Lets ya feel sorry for yaself.  'Course ya  can't get no woman with that empty eye flappin' aroun'.  Put sompin over it an' wash ya face...."

So, that's me: a wallower.  Someone who enjoys holding on to problems of my own making.  I know, it's lazy and selfish, but I guess it's just a night where I'm exhausted and plumb wore out.  It's not attractive...but I'm too tired to come up with a different post.

Simple vs. Easy

Recently, one of my co-workers chose this book for our book club book:


If you can't read the title, it is: "This is How: Proven Aid in Overcoming Shyness, Molestation, Fatness, Spinsterhood, Grief, Disease, Lushery, Decrepitude & More. For Young and Old Alike."

As you might (or might not) guess from the title, the book is a self-help book which makes fun of self-help books while at the same time offering some good advice.  Fair warning before you take up this book: if you have a problem with swearing or really blunt advice, this book is not for you.

One thing that stuck out to me from reading it (I truly enjoyed it!) was a quote by Mr. Burroughs, the author: "It's simple, but it's not easy."  He used this as example of how a principle or piece of advice can be simply expressed but devilishly difficult to follow.  How true that is.  Faith is a simple principle, but it's not easy to believe.

Still, if all else fails, remember this:



And if you don't get that, you really should read Harry Potter.