Blog Archives - The Land of the Weird

The Land of the Weird

Halloween 2019

10/31/2019

Surprisingly, it was warmer here than it was in Michigan this year. While our temperatures were above freezing, there was a cold wind that chilled us as we took Rowen trick-or-treating. Thankfully, the rain that had been forecasted completely disappeared during the prime hours for trick-or-treating.

Chloé went off with friends to a haunted train while Connor took off with a group of friends who were trick-or-treating in the same area, but in a different direction, than us. Rowen continued to wear his Link costume (and was bothered by the number of people who asked if he was “Zelda”). Connor, however, decided to switch to a “Stranger Things” costume.

I haven’t dressed up for a little while and decided to tonight. Finding one of my old black cowboy hats, I decided to dress as myself ... from about 25 years ago. I debated shaving to go for the full effect, but I knew Janelle would be entirely against the idea.

Saved [highly controversial]

10/30/2019

Recently, someone I know and respect made the comment that only people who attend a particular type of church (the church to which this person belongs) have any chance of reaching heaven. The implication was that everyone else is eternally damned. While I did not engage this individual on this topic, I am certain that if I asked, due to this person's knowledge of theology, the person in question could cite multiple references from the Bible to support this position.

I am extremely uncomfortable with that idea. Now, to be clear, I am not an expert in theology, and what I am about to express should not be interpreted as the teachings of the Catholic Church, to which I belong. Nor do I have even more than an iota of understanding about the way that God thinks, so if what I say leads you to blasphemous thoughts and eventually to the bowels of Hell, I deeply apologize (for whatever comfort that provides).

I believe that God is a just, merciful, and loving God. I believe that He will sacrifice (and has sacrificed) everything, including His body and blood, to assure that we can be saved from sin and death. I do not believe that He bases this on a punch-card for how often His people attend church. I do not believe that He bases this on "magical" incantations, secret phrases, or special ceremonies. I do believe that He bases it on how we treat both one another and the world that He has provided us.

To be clear, I do not believe that there is some sort of point system like the one in The Good Place which tallies our positive and negative actions and provides us with a score that sums up our life. Jesus makes it really clear in His teachings that there is nothing that we can do to clear the debt of sin that we have built. The only means of defeating death is through Him.

Now, I take this to mean that God, who created everything, is the only one with the power to save us. I do not take this (and please pardon the heresy) to mean that we have to acknowledge a particular form of His for Him to do this. I believe that it is entirely up to Him in the end, but His primary tenant for helping us through our lives is the instruction to love one another. In my view, condemning someone for going to the church (or synagogue, mosque, or temple) around the block is not a sign of love.

I choose to be a member of the Catholic Church because I believe living the tenants that it espouses leads to a happier life and a deeper connection to God ... for me. I believe that it offers a happier life and deeper connection to God for others who choose to follow its teachings as well. I do not believe that God will condemn someone for being raised in an Orthodox or Protestant faith (well, most of them anyway). That seems to run contrary to His nature. In fact, in most of Jesus' teachings, He uses the fundamentalists of His faith at the time (the Pharisees and Sadducees) as negative examples due to their tendency to rely of rituals for salvation rather than how they treat their neighbors. In fact, He goes out of His way to bring His salvation to those who weren't considered part of His religion.

And here's where I really get into trouble: I don't believe that God would deny a good soul to heaven and His presence just because they never heard His name before. I don't believe He would punish people who lived lives that benefited others just because they were born to a different faith (or no faith at all). I believe that a just, merciful, and loving God will do everything in His power to provide all people a pathway to Him.

A friend of mine once said that it would be nice if God was the way that I described. I believe He is. I do not believe that all faiths or beliefs are equal (mine is clearly the best). I do believe that God loves and cares for us in ways beyond our imaginings, and that His goodness ultimately wins over everyone in the end.

Too Warm

10/29/2019

A couple of weeks ago, we had snow on the ground that stayed (at least in my yard) for a few days. I made my yearly switchover to winter attire at that time. Unfortunately, we have since been hit by a warm blast (partially powered by the remnants of a typhoon) that have pushed our highs into the fifties for multiple days.

While it will be nice to not have our costumed kiddos in parkas for Halloween (although they may need rain ponchos), this weather is simply too warm for this time of year. I'm looking forward to seeing the snow return and stay this time around, and that won't happen with this sort of weather.

For me, a real concern is that our winter will hover around the freezing mark with no real accumulation of snow, but continually icy roads. That freeze/thaw pattern is hard on drivers and hard on the roads themselves. Instead, give me a nice coating of snow and cold temperatures to keep those flakes frozen.

I know that I'm often in the minority (even in Alaska) when it comes to my views about the weather and winter. However, I'm used to being "the weird one" and I certainly like it colder.

Homecoming

10/28/2019

Janelle is on her last flight to get home. I'm about to leave for the airport in Kenai. Her flight time from Anchorage and my drive time from our house are nearly identical when heading there, so I usually wait until I know that her plane is about to taxi.

It's been a long four-plus days that she has been gone ... for both of us. All of us here have missed her, with the boys continually asking when she is going to get home. I'm certain that they don't miss me as much when I'm gone. Even the dogs have seemed a bit out of it this weekend. I certainly haven't been sleeping as well.

The good news is that we will be rejoined in just a little bit. I know that we are in store for a longer separation come January when she goes to visit Katrina for the birth of our grandchild. If this weekend was any indication, I'm going to be a bit of a mess.

Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time

10/27/2019

Today's Gospel story of the Pharisee feeling superior to the tax collector when praying is often discussed in terms of humility. However, while today's homily touched on that point, the focus was on the importance of listening to God when we pray. In the Gospel, the Pharisee spends his prayer talking about his own greatness. In contrast, the tax collector is begging for mercy. The first is entirely one-sided and leaves no space for God to answer. The second relies entirely on God's reply.

We are in a fast-paced society with never enough time to deal with the many tasks in front of us. Yet taking the time to settle, to commune, and to listen is necessary for our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being. God's messages are important for me to hear, but I am often too distracted to even have a conversation, let alone have a conversation where I am not the main (or only) one talking. Even when I was doing a better job of praying, I was usually rushing through, pushing to the end, rather than really taking the time to talk with Him.

Still, communication is the key to any healthy relationship, and one of the best skills in communication is that of actively listening. I need spend time in prayer actively listening to what God is telling me.

Avoiding Politics

10/26/2019

I have been trying to keep my posts mostly politic-free these last few weeks. During the possibility of the strike, I had been torn between keeping people informed of the situation and not inundating my friends' feeds with an overload on the topic. At least with that, I was discussing something that I had first-hand, personal knowledge about, so the posts were more justified.

However, I just had to trash another draft which dealt with realms of politics beyond my personal contacts, but that have certainly been on my mind. The truth is that, as much as I would like to share my opinions on certain matters, I am watching as other people do so to no real effect. They get "liked" and other appropriate emogees from the same people, and the same irritated people (sometimes me) give the same irritated responses. Information and insults are exchanged, and nothing changes.

Politics has always been polarizing, but this is about the worst that I've seen it in my lifetime. I suppose that means I've been blessed with a life of relative peace considering how violent politics has often been in the past. Still, I am worried about how insular people have become. If they don't want to believe a news story, they dismiss it. If someone posts something they want or fear to be true, they glorify it. I'm especially disturbed when I see people I look up to and care about post items that are clearly false; I become even more disturbed when the falseness is pointed out and those people then dig in their heels deeper and not only do not acknowledge (let alone atone) for their mistake, but then ramp up the bile.

I do care deeply about some of the issues out there, but I get the feeling that my posting about them might do more harm than good. Even the few pieces I do pass on seem to be more polarizing than constructive. However, I also worry that by saying nothing, I might be allowing evil to spread.

For now, I'm avoiding those topics. I hope I don't regret that.

Halloween Carnival

10/25/2019

Sure, Halloween is still about a week away, but the costumes were out in full force tonight for our church’s carnival. I think that the kids really enjoy this celebration as they don’t need to have their costumes covered in coats (or be overly padded superheroes). There was a wide variety of costumes on display this evening.

Connor wanted to be Spider-Man; however, I think he made a convincing Peter Parker. Rowen wanted to use Connor’s costume from last year to be Link from Breath of the Wild. Unfortunately, someone (probably Connor) made some sort of comment about the costume which now makes him not like it. I think it looks great. Meanwhile, Chloé hasn’t decided on a costume yet, but she did decide to have her face painted.

We had a good time working the booths and even had some tickets left over for tomorrow.

Historical Truth

10/24/2019

How do we know the Truth about any given event in history? As a mental exercise, take a major event from your own life, a seminal moment which has helped define who you are as a person. How vividly do you remember that life-changing event? Being completely honest with yourself, how many of your memories of that event have been altered or heightened over time? Did you write that event down? If so, how close is what you have written to your actual memory of the event? If not, do you think you would be able to write it down in a way that captures both the essence and the details of the event?

That is just your perspective of an event that was of extreme importance to you. How might the perspectives of other people who witnessed (or could have witnessed) that particular event color their memories of it? How might they write it down? Between all of the people who witnessed it (or could have witnessed it), which details are most likely to be agreed upon by everyone? What details might only have been noticed by a few due to their location and proximity (let alone their attention or lack thereof)? How might each person's personal beliefs and biases color their memories of the parts of the event that they witnessed?

Understanding events from history is a type of detective story, building up evidence that helps the historian understand the major parts of an event. Unfortunately, it is impossible to know the entire Truth. All of the reporters of an event have their own perspective--not to mention their own agenda--which can change the texture of any given moment in time. What historians try to do is gather enough information from as many sources as possible to piece together some semblance of the actual person, place, or event that is being studied.

While knowing that there will always be pieces missing can be quite frightening, it's also part of the joy of being a student of history--there is always more that can be discovered.

Early Night

10/23/2019

I'm heading to bed in a bit (well ahead of that 10pm time I've been shooting for ... and missing). Tomorrow, Janelle starts her journey to her parents' home to be present for the memorial service for our nephew this weekend. I will need to drop her off at the airport before heading back home, picking up the boys, dropping them off with a friend, and then heading to school. I will certainly need my Thursday coffee-card punch from the Java Joint.

We just arrived home from this week's Youth Faith Formation. As a confirmation sponsor, I was involved in a thought-provoking class as well as my usual children's choir rehearsal. It has made for a rewarding, if packed, day.

My prayers go with Janelle on her travels, and with her and her family during this emotional time. Hopefully, it will be a time of healing.

Slash

10/22/2019

This morning, I received notice that my prospectus (the first portion of my dissertation) has been finally accepted [cue trumpets]. I started work on this first section back in May of 2018. This has taken substantially longer than expected.

When I began this process, some of literature about writing dissertations recommended rewarding oneself for each stage that is met in the process. At the time, Hasbro had released a new edition of the Dinobot Transformers. I bought them and have stored them in my closet with the plan of opening one for each milestone that I make. Today, I opened my first one.

This is Slash, the newest addition to the Dinobots. She (yes, she) is the smallest and also the only one not to combine with the others to make Volcanicus (a new feature with this edition). Although I was a little disappointed to discover that last fact today, I’m still quite happy with her and her velociraptor form.

Hopefully it won’t be another 17 months before I can open the next one.

Self-Improvement

10/21/2019

Today, I introduced my junior United States Literature (English 11) course to the Benjamin Franklin self-improvement project. For those who don't know, Franklin created a personal self-improvement regimen as a way to increase his virtues and decrease his vices. He would focus on one a week while keeping track of the others.

His experiment was not tremendously successful. He noted that once he stopped focusing on one vice to work on another, the first one would creep back in. Still, the idea has some merit (and was enough of an idea to become the basis of the FranklinCovey company).

As I introduced this project to my eleventh-graders, I thought about the areas which I would want to improve. The idea is to choose eight aspects (one for each week) of my life that I can take specific measurements on a daily basis. Certainly, there are many parts of my life which could be tweaked for the better, but these were the eight that came to mind:

1. More sleep -- Be in bed by 10pm on school nights and 11pm on days when I can sleep in (this would be a significant improvement).
2. Exercise more -- get in at least 15 minutes of exercise a day, even if it's just walking the dogs.
3. Pray more -- I've slipped in my practice of doing a daily Rosary or even a Chaplet of Divine Mercy.
4. Eat healthier -- this will be tough with the upcoming holidays.
5. Work on my dissertation for at least half an hour a day.
6. Be planned and prepared at least a week ahead for all of my classes.
7. Limit my time on my phone, whether social media or casual gaming (Dr. Mario World and Mario Kart are terribly addictive).
8. Do some game or activity (not counting movie or TV show watching) with a family member.

... This shouldn't be hard at all ...

The Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time

10/20/2019

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells His disciples about the need to be persistent in prayer. Our pastor mentioned in the homily that persistence is the key to success in many areas and that prayer is no different from that. This does not mean that everything we ask for will be granted to us. Instead, Jesus reminds us to not give in or give up when faced with adversity.

I need to take this message to heart. My persistence has certainly flagged in a few of my endeavors. Outside forces and various demands have given my procrastinating nature the excuses it craves. Certainly, I have accomplished a great deal in some portions of my life, but I need to refocus and redouble my efforts in other areas, specifically in my own education and personal health.

Our lives work along the same principles as physics. We need to build momentum to get anything done. This will mean persistence at both overcoming that initial inertia and then keeping my goals moving in the correct direction. Persistently praying for strength and guidance will help too.

Grades

10/19/2019

As of this moment, all of the grades for my classes in quarter one are complete. This has not been an easy or quick process. It included spending multiple Saturdays at the school including about four hours today.

Granted, there are still students who missed school last week (either in part or entirely) and a few who have special arrangements that I still need to deal with. I will have to deal with these by submitting grade changes later since we need to finalize our quarter one grades by Monday morning. Still, the rest of them are done.

I feel both satisfaction and frustration whenever I complete this task. The satisfaction comes from not carrying that weight anymore, both figuratively and literally considering the amount of papers I had in my bag. The frustration is from seeing those students who just did not try, or who gave only a minimal effort at the end that fell way short.

At least this ended only the quarter. The semester grades matter when it comes to transcripts. Hopefully this wake-up call will get some of these kids moving in the right direction. It usually helps at least a few of them.

Now I just need to work on planning for the next quarter, not to mention my own education.

Traumatized

10/18/2019

Our community is reeling from the death of one of our high school seniors due to a car accident yesterday--our first morning with icy roads. I never had Macie as a student, but she would come by from time to time before or after school to visit. She was an outgoing young woman--and sometimes a bit of a troublemaker--who is already deeply missed.

Yesterday, the halls were full of students and staff in mourning. This was the third death our school has had to deal with in the past six months, and each has taken its toll. I tried to just be there for my students while still going through the day as normal. Quite a few stopped by during my prep period and between classes to talk or even to just get a hug.

Aside from sadness, I've been feeling anger and frustration. I've been particularly upset with those students who sped out of the our parking lot as they left school, clearly not learning a lesson about driving in icy conditions. They believe that this is just a matter of luck and that there is nothing that they can do to prevent it, and then they take risks that clearly put them in more danger. See? Anger and frustration.

Although I only barely knew her, I've certainly been affected. My mind keeps wandering back to what happened, how it could have been prevented (wear your seatbelts, people), and how we have lost another young person. It has made doing almost everything take more time these past couple of days. With this, and Janelle leaving for Schuyler's funeral next week, my mind has felt muffled by a fog of sad thoughts.