Where I Stand

If you’ve been around here very long, you are aware of  my views on gay marriage.  In the last few months, many of the blogs that I read, which are penned by heterosexuals, have broached the subject in both lighthearted and serious manners.  From the brilliance of these pieces, and others that I read on the subject, I had delusioned myself enough to think that the majority of America was pro-gay marriage.    Then I attended a work meeting, and whilst on the subject of our Christmas party a suggestion was made to have the event at a local restaurant that is owned by a gay man.  One of the older fellows in our office quickly vetoed that suggestion on the basis that he, “wasn’t supporting that pack of queers with his money”.  In that moment I realized that although I can keep my blinders on in my online community, it doesn’t work so well in the work enviornment.

When I thought about it, my views aren’t in sync with my chruch enviornment either.  According to one of my former pastors, Methodism’s take on the subject is, “hate the sin, love the sinner”.   Personally, I don’t believe homosexuality is a sin, or a choice, and in debating the subject with my church friends, I am often the odd man out.

Same goes for abortion.  In many of our monthly women’s group meetings, most of the members make their anit-abortion stance known to all.  My personal feelings on the issue are, although I could never do it myself, I believe in the right to chose.  One of my best friends, with whom I attend church, volunteers at a local pregnancy crisis center, and is often campaigning for financial and spiritual support for their mission, which is basically to keep babies from being aborted.  Last year I attended their fundraising banquet with her, thinking maybe I could see what I was missing.  Even after hearing stories of their clients, who are as young as 11, I still find myself on the fence.   I’ve seen the outcome of teenagers, or maybe even pre-teens raising babies, and heard the stories of newborns being found in dumpsters, and I just don’t know if  babies raising babies is a much better fate than abortion is.  A viewpoint I keep to myself in most circles. 

When thinking about these things, I can’t help but wonder, am I in the wrong religion?

Time Flies When You’re Loving Bon Jovi

So, who here remembers exactly where they were 20 years ago?  April 8, 1989 at 9:00 p.m.  Anyone?  I do……..this is the exact date of my first Bon Jovi live show.

I remember very vividly watching Dial MTV and going ga-ga over Jon Bon Jovi in the presence of my mom’s best friend.  She told me that the band was coming to Carbondale, IL , about 2 hours north of us, soon and that if my mom would allow, she was planning to take me.  The previous Christmas I, along with every other kind in America, had gotten the New Jersey album, on vinyl, and the Christmas before that I had gotten my first Jovi album, Sllippery When Wet.  I considered myself a fan and was excited about not only seeing Bon Jovi, but witnessing my first ”real” concert. 

My mom graciously allowed me to go, and to pay for my ticket, which was good because being the ripe ol’ age of 11 my only income up to that point came from my weekly $1 allowance and the tooth fairy, and I’m quite sure I had all my permanent teeth by then.  She and her friend even travelled to the venue to wait in line for tickets on the on-sale day.  I was on pins and needles waiting for them to get home with the tickets.  I spent the day listening to local rock station’s DJ’s promoting the show, and day dreaming of my mom and her friend returning with front row seats.  

Once the tickets were secured, it seemed to take forever for Saturday, April 8 to roll around.  I became even more estatic when MTV declared Sunday April 9, “Bon Jovi Sunday”.  It would be a complete  Jovi-weekend. 

The morning of the show I was estatic, and after getting a fresh new haircut, as well as t-shirt money and earplugs from my parents (only one of which would be utilized), we were Carbondale-bound. 

After arriving at the venue, we were warned by a parking lot preacher of the dangers  of  listening to the devil’s music and being told we were going to hell if we went inside, we took our chances and entered anyways.  And after purchasing a white tee with Jon’s pic on the front and the tour dates on the back, (ear plugs, I don’t need no stinkin’ ear plugs, we took our seats.  Although the ticket stub was misplaced years ago, I still recall that they were in Section G Row 13.  For my fellow Jovi fans they were on Alec’s side on the first set of risers, 13 rows up.  Excellent seats, with a great view of the catwalk where Jon came out into the crowd.  After suffering through * the opening act, Skid Row, it was finally time for Jon and the boys to hit the stage. 

The lights went down and the crowd came up, out of their seats.  The guys began playing, “Lay Your Hands On Me”, but Jon was nowhere to be seen.  Finally, he popped up out of the stage, in a blast of pyro, just like in the video.  For the next 2 hours the guys gave the crowd $18.50 worth and then some, playing all the hits, and getting closer to the fans in the back by spending alot of time on the catwalk. 

The passing of 2o years have blurred the details of that night.   I can’t remember what the guys wore, the order of the setlist, or what obscure or cover tunes were performed, however, I will always remember the event that made me more than a fan, converting me to membership in Johnny’s church of rock and roll.  

In the 20 years since that night alot has happened.  Jon and I have both gotten married.  “Cheap” Jovi tickets are now $120, rather than $20 for great seats, and are secured via the internet rather than at the venue.  The members of the band probably wouldn’t stop in Carbondale to take a piss now.  For my first Jovi experience I couldn’t drive, later I would transport myself to the shows in Missouri, Ohio, and Kansas in my green Grand Am.  Now days I venture no further than Nashville in my trusty minivan.  (For anything further I rent a car).  My mom, remembering how tight money is with 2 little ones, still gives me souvenier money when I go to a show, and I still have that first Jovi shirt, now way too small, and threadbare from the years of washing it endured back in the 80’s and 90’s.  It will always have a place of honor in my Bon Jovi collection.  Yes, alot has definitely changed in 20 years, but I think it’s now safe to say that my “obsession” never will.

 

*No offense to the Skids.  I actually ended up really liking them a few months later, just didn’t care for them much in the moment.

And The Winner Is…………….

After much debate we have chosen a winner for Vacation Destination 2009……………Chattanooga, TN.

While comparing destinations Branson had alot to offer in the way of activities.  From Silver Dollar City and Riding The Ducks to shows for the whole family, it appeared that there would never be a dull moment.  We found one excellent package deal that included lots of things to do.  Too much actually for our timeframe.  When we looked in to doing a few of these things seperately it was quite costly.  Additionally, Jonas sister plans on coming with us, however, her plans often change, and I really didn’t want to pay in advance for a package that included her, and her change her mind.   Nonetheless, after some debate, it seemed that we were Branson-bound. 

A quick internet search revealed that Chattanooga also had many activities, at a decent price.  It was places like the Tennessee Aquarium, the Children’s Museum and the local zoo that led to us making a last second destination change our destination to Chattanooga.   Chattanooga also has their own version of, “Riding The Ducks”, which we have since decided against experiencing.  With the 5 of us it would cost close to $100 for an hour long voyage.  Compared to $30 for all day at the zoo, it seems a little excessive.  Even without the ducks, I’m sure we will find plenty to see and do. 

With our destination decided, the next order of business was finding accomodations.  While I prefer hotels, J really wanted to go camping.  I would be all for this if we had a camper, but we don’t.  We have a big tent, and tent camping, is a real pain in the ass.  So much crap to pack and set up.  While camping is relatively inexpensive, it’s alot like work, and since I’m on vacation, I really don’t want to have to work that hard.  Therefore, I jumped at the chance when I found a campground with rustic cabins.  We reserved the largest one, a whopping 12′ x 20′, complete with grill, fire ring, 2 beds, microwave and television.  The campground also has an on-site cave, pool, game room, wifi, and a plethora of other activities.  The feel of camping, the comfort of a hotel, with a price tag somewhere in between the two, and a location minutes from downtown Chattanooga made it a no-brainer.

With our activities planned, and our cabin reserved, I moved on to perhaps the most important part of vacation……the food.  I really get irritated when we go to a new town and wind up eating at a chain restaurant where we could eat in our hometown.  The only thing that perturbes me worse is when I try some place new and it’s such a terrible experience that I wish we would’ve went to the Cracker Barrell.  When stepping out of comfort zone we often find lackluster, or even downright awful food, or prices beyond what we expected, and sometimes a combination of the these things.  The prime example of this for us is the Nashville restaurant, The Aquarium.  You pay for the ambiance, and you pay well for it.  The 4 of us went there once and it cost us in the 3 digit range, with the food being terrible to boot. 

I vowed that with the help of google, I will never again be ripped off like that.  Therefore, I have been doing my restaurant homework, and have found 2 places that I must try.  While searching the chamber of commerce’s website, the name Bea’s Restaurant, caught my eye.  “Sounds homey”, I thought.  Upon finding a site of Chatannooga area restaurant reviews, I discovered that Bea’s is basically a home cooked buffet for lazy people.  They bring food to your table and place in in lazy susans for you and the people at your table, all for about $10 a person.  Bea’s is right up this chunky girl’s alley.

J and I are big fans of the show, Diners, Drive In’s and Dives, or Triple D, on the Food Network.  On this show they go to different towns visiting diners, drive-ins, and dives that are locally famous for serving usually greasy food.  J and I are usually salivating over the creations featured on the show, even though one bite probably has more calories than we should have in a week.  We checked online to see if any Chattanooga area establishments had been featured on Triple-D.  None had, but there was a restaurant who’s newspaper review said it should be, which is good enough for me.  We plan on making Ankars Restaurant a stop also. 

We still have a few months to set the final details of our vacation.  And with more meals to plan and activities to chose from I get more excited every day.

Happiness Is………….

Inspired by Red, I thought I would compose my own list of things that make me happy.  Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Friends and family.
2. My kitty cat’s purr.
3. Movies I know by heart.
4. New music by Bon Jovi and Brad Cotter.
5. Hearing live music, espically by Bon Jovi and Brad Cotter.
6. The fact that Brian knows all the words to the song, “Chicken Fried”.
7. Having uniforms at work and no longer having to mess up my own clothes.
8. Watching karate boy play Wii bowling.  It’s hilarious.
9. Digging for worms with the kids.
10. Restaurant dining.
11. Dinners with MY extended family.  (note:  This can quickly become something  I loathe at the very mention of politics)
12. Sitting on my porch swing.
13. Getting engrossed in a good book
14. Watching old home movies of the kids.
15. Bubble Baths.
16. Completing a home improvment project.
17. Sour gummi worms.
18. Cherry sours.
19. okay, candy in general.  (except black licorice)
20. Brothers and Sisters.
21. DVR.
22. Spring.
23. My time.
24. Bonfires.
25. Hayrides.
26. A freshly cleaned room.
27. Clean sheets.
28. Grandparents that don’t mind babysitting.
29. A fuzzy navel, or a frozen margarita.
30. Sonic’s lemon berry slushes.
31. A meal at Olive Garden consisting of beef and cheese tortellini topped off with a slice of lemon cake.  (Well, not actually on top of my tortellini……that’s just gross)
32. Cooking for others.
33. Being told that, “I rock” by Guitar Hero.
34. Clothes that are too big.
35. The smell of baby lotion.
36. Sex And The City reruns.
37. Inside jokes.
38. My job.  (really, I love it).
39. March fl0wers.
40. Snuggling in bed with my kids.

Check back soon, as this list is ever-growing, and ever-evolving.

Ponderings

1: One of our local radio stations prides themselves on offering, “no-talk triple plays”. It is a country station, so what it amounts to should be roughly 10 minutes of non-stop music. Why is it then do they often say, “You’re in the middle of a no-talk triple play”? If we are in the middle of it, and they’re telling us so, isn’t it no longer a no-talk triple play?

2: I feel like I’m getting screwed over alot at work lately. I get paid for working. Does that make me a prostitute?

Top Signs Your Kids Watch The Movie Hairspray A Little Too Much

My kids LOVE the movie, “Hairspray”, the new one that is.  Following his comment last week, #1 on the list, I compliled the following list of signs that your child watches too much, “Hairspray”.

• They wrote the following knock knock joke:  Knock, knock.  Who’s there?  Well.  Well Who?  Well I do, I left my iron on.
• Your son wants to know why he can’t say, “Kiss my ass” in school.  His argument is that Link said it in school.
• Upon seeing his newly remodeled room your son declares it, “Afrotastic”. 

Vacation, Anywhere I Wanna

Several years ago my aunt and her husband of less than a year remarked, in a sort of appalled tone of voice, “It’s time for us to go on vacation, we haven’t been anywhere since our honeymoon.”  It’s been almost 8 years since mine, and I still haven’t gone on a real vacation.  At my old job paid vacation was not something that was offered.  Therefore, in the 10 plus years I was there, my honeymoon was the only real vacation that I had, and even that wasn’t a full week.   With children in the picture, taking a week off without pay plus shelling out dough for a vacation wasn’t really an option for us, so we settled for mini-vacations every couple of years or so.  Noting major, usually just a long weekend away.   Three days, max. 

I am long overdue a real vacation, and I found out yesterday that I get one.  A paid one.  The world, or rather the world within 5 hours of KY, as I can’t handle travelling any further than that with the kiddos, is my oyster.  When I found out that I could take vacation earlier this week, I spent the day pondering out destination as I worked.  Eventually I decided on St. Louis.  Fairly close by, with lots of amazing free places to take the kids, like the zoo, Grant’s farm, and the Science Center, it was an easy sell for me.  I figured that throwing in a Cardinals game would make it a no brainer for J too. 

I was quite happy with my decision in my little fantasy world, then I spoke my idea out loud, where my hopes were dashed.   J was thinking of something less urban, more natural, somewhere where we could be close to nature and see animals (hello, zoo and farm) somewhere that we could camp and the kids could make friends (they could do that at the hotel pool)  a.k.a. somewhere that we could catch malaria and west nile virus.   J was thinking…………are you ready for this…………….okefenokee swamp.  

It took me forever to find it online.  I’m a pretty decent speller, but even I didn’t know where to begin on Okefenokee.  (Sure, it’s easy for you guys, I’ve already done all the work for you).  I first tried Okie- and kept getting results for, “Okie from Meskogie”.  Finally, I found it, and discovered that it was 11 hours away, so I shattered J’s Oke-dreams on that basis alone, witholding the information that there was no way in hell that I was going to spend my first vacation in nearly a decade somewhere with swamp in the name.  Okefe-no way in hell Swamp.

We now have a short list of destinations:  Chatanooga, TN, Gatlinburg, TN (been there, done that in a long weekend), Branson, MO (don’t you have to be 70 to go there?), and Hot Springs, AR.  Any other suggestions??????

And sure, the economy is in the toilet, my job isn’t the most secure, we have debt, we have home repairs that we should be spending our money on, but dammit, I haven’t had a vacation in 8 years and I’m going somewhere.

The Weeks The Lights Went Out in Kentucky

Day 1: Tuesday January 26, 2009

Delivered mail in the ice. Fun. Dodged falling limbs all day. Prayed a lot. Mostly of the nature, “Dear God, don’t let that limb I just heard crack be the one above my head”. While working longed for nothing more than a hot bath upon arriving home. Remembered that J never replaced the bad element in hot water heater. Mentally decided to settle for a lukewarm to cold bath upon arriving home, and to withhold pleasures of the flesh from J until water heater was fixed. Reasoned that because I was a good person, I would be immune from the power outages that were affecting the area in which I was working. Got home to find power had been out since 2 p.m. Got pissed that the people across the field from us still had power, and began referring to them as “Assholes”. Made the best of it by telling my kids that it would be just like camping, only colder. Played High Ho Cherry O and Chutes and Ladders by candlelight. Also read them stories before settling in to bed with the 4 of us in the same room. A rather enjoyable evening, if it wasn’t so cold. Was pissed that I missed, “The Biggest Loser”

Day 2: First full day without power.

Woke up to find more snow and ice on the roads. Left for work super early, giving myself 3 times the necessary time to arrive. Made it to the intersection 1 mile from my house in 10 minutes after nearly sliding off the road. Decided on the way to work that I would probably clear, after taxes and sitter, about $30 bucks. Pondered the absurdity of risking my life for 30 bucks.

Upon arriving at work, discovered a city-wide power outage, and a nearly desolate postal parking lot. Discovered that, contrary to the motto, something does stop the US Mail, and ice storm and city wide power outage. Also discovered that Verizon is indeed, “The Network”, as their service was the only functional one in the city. Praised self for choosing Verizon all those years ago. Landlines were also down. Began to comprehend the magnitude of the storm. It stopped the freakin’ mail for crying out loud. Was allowed to perform menial inside tasks for my guaranteed time, so my trip to work was not in vain.

Took kids to my sister’s house in Tennessee, hereafter referred to as the promised land, where electricity abounds, for the evening. Took a hot shower before coming home to a 40-something degree house and snuggling up with the hubby. Hubby was pissed that he missed NCIS. I told him that I could tell him what happened: There was a murder, Gibbs made some snarky comments, sexual tension escalated between the curly headed girl and the cute guy, then they solved the case. Pondered that doing without electricity, even if it’s for a week, won’t be that bad. I am tough. I am woman. I am invincible.

Day 3:

Van wouldn’t start. Rode in to work with mom. Husband called to say that it’s looking like power could be restored by Valentine’s day. I am no longer invincible.

My work was cancelled again, too dangerous to deliver mail. Town still dark. Rode to Tennessee border town with co-worker to get supplies and kill time before mom got off work. Total Chaos.

Pondered the fact that many republicans thought the world would go to hell if Obama was elected. I hate that many of them think they were right.

Spent 4 hours waiting for mom to get off from work. Boring. Arrived home and decided to migrate to the promised land overnight with mom and dad. J is left to fend for himself when and if he returns from work. Watched tv for the first time in ages. Mostly news, all about “Winter Storm ‘09”. (insert jazz hands here)

Oh yeah, earlier in the day argued with mom about the meaning of, “potable water”, a term being used a lot on the radio recently. Some people are pronouncing it pot (rhymes with not) able. Mom wonders why the agencies aren’t giving away water you can drink. I tell her that they are, that’s what potable means. She insists that potable means you use it to flush your toilet, or pot if you will.

Day 4:

Town no longer dark. Began the tedious task of catching up on delivering the mail for the 2 days we missed. Temps were up, which meant ice melted off branches and pelted me in the head all day. Often thought that I was in just as much danger Tuesday and Friday when we delivered as I was Wednesday and Thursday when it was deemed too dangerous. By mid-day town was again dark. Am sick and tired of existing on sandwiches and snack cakes.

Spent evening at the promised land with hubby and kids. Can tell that sister is getting tired of her home being turned into a multi-family one.

Day 5:

Lights on in town again. No such luck at home. Busy day at work playing catch-up. Temps are high again so after work and dinner out, we are spending the evening in our own house. Yay. On the way home openly mocked the people in Tennessee with their television and electricity. A mile from home noticed that power had been restored to many homes, including the assholes. Got hopes up only to come home to a dark, cold house. The assholes across the field are now the “Sons of Bitches”.

Karate boy says he hopes we have power by the time he turns 7, which is 10 months from now.

Electric bill was due today. Didn’t pay it. What are they going to do, disconnect my service?

Day 6:

Sunday, my only day of the week off work. Spent the day running. First to granny’s to pick up limbs. Later sis, mom and I went to the local shelter to volunteer (more on that in a later post). Words cannot describe the things I saw there. So sad, so terribly, terribly sad. Could never get cold or desperate enough to stay there.

J’s brother in law brought us a generator to use. After hooking everything up, and giving the fridge a long overdue cleaning, I opened the door to find not only light, but I swear I heard the Hallelujah Chorus playing. Heat and refrigeration, I feel like I’m in heaven.

Have devised a plan to call all my other service providers for which electricity is required (Dish and Internet) in the event that electricity is not restored within a month and ask for bills to be waived. The worst thing they can do is tell me no.

Found research to back up the true definition of potable water. Rag mom incessantly.

Headed to the promised land to eat a hot meal and watch super bowl. Things are looking up.

Day 7:

I know lots of people have relatives staying with them due to the power outages, but I really didn’t have room for one more when my Aunt Flo arrived.

Got a call from J that the loaner generator had broke the clutch. Things are no longer looking up.

Day 8: One full week without power.

Had an epiphany: Which group was totally not affected by this? The Amish. Thinking about converting to Amish-ism (or whatever). I’ll save lots of money on electricity, cable, and things of that nature. I look good in black, and I can bake like nobody’s business. Amish or bust. Will talk to hubby about becoming Amish tonight.

Supervisor at work bragged about having electricity. I made the threat, “I know where you live, I’ll be sitting in your driveway when you get home”.

Spent evening at mom and dad’s, as they have a generator and a wood stove.

Day 9:

Looks like we’re still Methodist. Hubby’s furniture making skills, as well as my sewing skills suck. Plus I like my Girlie drama’s too much to give up tv. Amish-ism was good while it lasted. (And I still intend to practice my baking skills, as soon as I get electricity to my oven again).

I know longer know what day of the week it is. I long for my routine. I long for normalcy.

This whole time I’ve been saying, “on the bright side, our electric bill will be low”. Well, today I realized that since we are on the budget billing program we still have to pay those cock suckers even if we use 0 watts.

Despite my reservations, accepted another loaner generator. This one’s new, so maybe it won’t malfunction on our watch. Karate boy is thrilled to be home.

Day 18,978,209, 039, okay, day 10:

My brain is fried. I no longer know what day of the week it is. Without television shows to look forward to each night, I simply can’t keep the days straight. Furthermore, I still hit light switches when I come into a room. Almost 2 weeks in the dark and I still pull the damn switches and strings to turn on the lights. Also, I have spent the day trying to figure out why nobody has commented on this post. “I know that Amish bit was pretty funny” I say to myself, before realizing that this is being typed on the word processing program on my computer rather than on wordpress. Nobody’s commenting because nobody is seeing it yet. What’s really bad is that I re-play this scenario multiple times a day in my head. I have no idea how I am managing to hold down a job.

Good news on the job front, because of all the chaos I have been working a lot, and spent almost the entire day on overtime. That is a very good thing considering it’s costing us $25 a day to run the generator.

Day 11: (Saturday)

Second weekend in the dark. J could take no more and has decided to use the generator to power the DVR and one television rather than a heater. (temperatures are in the 60’s, so his decision is acceptable). Just in time for a new Desperate Housewives and Brothers And Sisters tomorrow night. Perfect timing.

Went to Promised Land to do laundry and bathe. God this sucks. It took 4 hours to do 3 loads of laundry. Next weekend, if we’re still without power, we’re paying a visit to the laundromat. At least there I can utilize multiple washers and dryers. Plus, I hear some of them have wifi. (or “wee fee” as one of my co-workers pronounces it)

Day 12:

I could totally handle this if we just had water. We have no water. Damn electric well pump. If I could just wash these dishes that are piling up and eating away at my o.c.d. If I could just mop the floor or clean the fridge with soap and water. If I could just wash my freakin’ hands, or take even a cold shower……………..

On the good news front. J finally fixed the water heater!!!!!!!! Now, when we do get electricity restored I will be able to take a hot bath. Maybe I’ll even shave the ½” hair from my legs. (Sadly, that is not an exaggeration).

Day 13:

A beautiful day, weather-wise. Great day to be at work and take my mind off the fact that we’re pioneering it at home.

Karate boy went back to school today. Nine of the 22 kids in his class, plus 2 of his 3 teachers are still without power. Fortunately, the school system has decided to ban homework until more (or maybe even all) kids have electricity at home.

Did I mention that being without power SUCKS!

Day 14:  The Day The Lights Went On.

Dad called me at 4:15 this afternoon with excellent news.  The lights were back on!!!!!!!  Everyone and everything survived, even the DVD player that we thought had fallen victim to a generator power surge.  It’s so nice to be able to shower in my own house, wash my hands with soap and water rather than hand sanitizer after using the restroom, play the wii, watch my television shows, pick out my clothing without the aid of the lantern.  Two whole weeks in the dark, and we survived. 

 

 

 

 

 

Powerless

Just a quick update to let you guys know that I survived the ice storm that slaughtered far western Ky.  The bad news is that I won’t have electricity for up to a month.   Yeah, a month.  I am feeling so much right now, good and bad, and I plan to blog about the whole experience when I get electricity again.

Honesty Is The Best Policy……..Even On Facebook

I recently posted a “25 Random Things About Me” note on my Facebook page.  In it I noted the usual, Bon Jovi, kids, church, husband, all of the stuff you can find in the 100 things about me section, but I also listed that I am in favor of gay marriage, noting that I may lose some of my, “friends” over that stance.  The response in the last few hours has been overwhelming.

My cousin used to be my hero.  She lived in the big city (Nashville) which was very foreign and exciting to my country bumpkin self.  She often poked fun at our lifestyle down here, making us out to be simple and narrow-minded.  About 7 years my senior, her life always seemed fascinating to me.  She was allowed to do things I could only dream of, and in retrospect, I now know that her teen years were spent drinking and drugging it up with lots of  different boyfriends.  Nevertheless, I idolized her and thought I was big stuff when I would visit and sit in her room and listen to her 2 Live Crew tape.  It took years for me to realize that her actions were the result of having an absentee father.  It took me years to realize that she was really a bitch to me.

She has made a complete 180 from that rebellious teenager, eventually settling down, in the country, having 2 kids, and getting a type of religion that is sometimes scary.  She once didn’t talk to many of us for a couple of years, or come to my wedding because it came to light that my grandpa had molested me, as well as her own mother when we were teenagers.  She still talked to him, but couldn’t bring herself to have any contact with me or my immediate family, citing the fact that we condoned his behavior and never called him out on it.  She claimed that this is what God wanted her to do, even including several scriptures as reference.  I was punished because I was violated, and the man who did it came off scott-free.  The hurt from this incident is still unbearable.   I plan to blog about the whole experience one day, when I have time to deal with the emotions that will undoubtedly be brought back to the forefront of my mind. 

At Thanksgiving, an always staunch Republican, she blasted Obama non-stop, saying that the people that voted for him will see the error of their ways once she gets in office.  At one point she even said that she didn’t care for having a black president, she would just prefer one that worshiped the same God that she does.  “Wow, who’s simple and narrow minded now”, I thought.   I may be sheltered, but I can take 2 seconds to google something. 

She was the first to reply to my Facebook list, stating that she will always love me but the Bible clearly states that homosexuality is a sin.  In a facebook chat I told her that she hadn’t offended me, and that we would have to agree to disagree.  Last night one of my church friends posted this comment to my note:

here is my philosophy on gay marriage and God’s take on it…..i think that homosexuality is a form of population control….think  about it….i also think that if 2 ppl love each other they should be able to get married and enjoy all of the benifits (insurance, tax breaks, etc) that any other couple would.

That fueled my cousin’s fire, big time.  Her next comment called into question our church’s ability to educate, and asked the question, “what kind of Bible are they using there?”.   I tried to keep my reply lighthearted, stating the following:

I dont think (our church) would broach the topic of gay marriage with a 10 foot pole. The only time I can remember ever discussing it was at a Sunday night event and someone asked the former pastor, who’s reply was the same as your comment, hate the sin and love the sinner. I think there are a few people who, if they even realized there was ever a gay person that ever sat foot in there, would burn the hymnbook the gay person used and reupholster the seat they sat in, so as to not “get any on them”. lol.

I have pondered taking down the entire note, along with the comments, as this whole escapade has made me quite uncomfortable.  However, Brian has been my BFF for going on 15 years now (yeah, Brian, we’re that old) and I look at him and Alan and see a loving couple in a relationship much better than that of many of my facebook “friends”.  I want them to be happy, and to have the same rights as I do.  I know that won’t be accomplished by my one item on one list of random things, but it’s a start.  For one fleeting moment I had the balls testicles bresticles to take a stand for something that I feel is right, even though it may be unpopular amongst the group of, “friends” reading it.  It ain’t coming down.

In one of my cousin’s comments she says she has several gay friends.  I have to wonder does she, or does she just think she does?  (read it slow, it’ll make sense) Would these friends of hers continue to be her friend if they knew she takes a stand against their rights on facebook and would undoubtedly vote against them if it was on the ballot?  I think not.