This is a bit heavy... So don't read it if you don't feel like it. I promise I'll post another funny one really soon.

I am reading a book called Blue Like Jazz: Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality, by Donald Miller. It is an intriguing book. I'm into it. You should read it. (And while you're at it, definately read Velvet Elvis, by Rob Bell.) I went and heard Donald Miller speak on Sunday at Mars Hill. Anyway, in Blue Like Jazz, there is this one part that made me think:

"If you believe something, passionately, people will follow you. People hardly care what you believe, as long as you believe something. If you are passionate about something, people will follow you because they think you know something they don't, some clue to the meaning of the universe. Passion is tricky, though, because it can point to nothing as easily as it points to something."

So, it got me to thinking- what exactly am I passionate about? And it prompted another list.

1. I'm passionate about music. If it was possible to go through my day to day life with non-stop music, I would do it. I surround myself with it. It is my out. I hate the radio- I can't stand that I am not able to control what I'm listening to. My music must go with my moods and I need to be able to choose those songs which are most applicable. For the record, here are the cds which are applicable to any mood, good or bad or in between: anything by K's Choice, The Postal Service, the Garden State soundtrack, or Billie Holiday.

2. I am passionate about the underdog. This is why I crave inner city, special education. It makes me physically sick to think about how unfair it is that rich, upper class districts get so many more opportunities in schools than the less fortunate, inner city schools. I realize that there is so much that goes into that distrobution, but bottom line- it's unfair. It gets me very heated. If you disagree, or have some crap to say about people choosing a certain lifestyle, please, go tell that to my kids in the South Bronx. Let's not go there. I will get very rude with you. I might even punch you in your face.

3. I am passionate about my family. I have an incredible family, intimate and extensive. They are intensely loving, compassionate, and wise and I realize more and more as I get older how fortunate I have been and continue to be to have such strong presences in my life.

4. I am passionate about relationships in general. I hate losing touch with people. I told my mom this week that I will be one of those people who has dinner parties and goes to dinner parties and such all of my life. I love being around others, and I love getting to know others. I love everything about learning about someone, listening to their stories, and being there for them and them being there for me. Frank used to tell me that I don't distinguish between aquaintances and friends. Whatever. I don't care.

5. I'm passionate about traveling. I get really antsy if I don't have some type of trip in the works at any point in time. After having been so fortunate to have done much of it, I can't imagine my life without it. So much of who I am and what I think has been formed from travels I've had. So much confidence and knowledge has come from traveling by myself and with others and it is an experience that you cannot get in any other way. I've gone topless on the beach in Cannes and gone to Easter service at Notre Dame and everything in between. I have numerous journals packed with fabulous traveling stories... :)

6. Finally.... and this is a tricky one... I'm passionate about my faith. I could write so much on this topic, but no one would read it because this has already been a long post and it hasn't been a very funny one so I'm kind of surprised that you're still reading this part frankly. :) First, let me state that I think that I often say that my faith is important to me when really I should say that my relationship with God is important to me because it seems awkward to say even if it is true. And I think it sort of weirds some people out. I'm not really decided on that point yet. But anyway... Suffice it to say that it is the core of who I am and shapes basically all of the decisions I make. There are a couple of things that I'm REALLY passionate about in this area:
a) I really, really, really can't stand it when so called Christians judge people. Obviously, everyone does this because it's human nature, but I mean more along the lines of people who are gay, people who are not Christians, people who make choices that they wouldn't, etc. For starters, you are to love everyone and it is not your JOB to decide who deserves love or not. Secondly, you miss out on amazing friendships when you discount people simply because of choices they make. It is so shallow.
b) I really, really, really can't stand it when people mix politics with religion. I didn't vote for Bush. I didn't like his educational platform. And it made me kind of sick how I felt like he was using his Christianity as a voting point. Donald Miller also wrote: "Anybody who wants to get their way says that Jesus supports their view." A lot of my Christian friends got really mad at me for not voting for him. I think it is just naieve to vote for someone simply because you share the same religion. Also, I don't think that it is anyone's right to tell others what to do in regards to abortion or sex ed. in schools. I am opposed to abortion and I definately believe in the benefits of abstinence, but I don't see how it could possibly be my right to tell you what to believe...


Um... that ended up being kind of a heavy blog. Maybe it balances some of the shallowness out where I talk a lot about clothes and drinking.... :)