Random observations

I think that having some exposure to religion/church/ceremony is good, due to how much it permeates our culture.

One doesn't have to drink to Kool-Aid.

Definitely.

I agree with you too roger.

She's done this before btw, including being in their church's Christmas pageant this year. So far it's all gone well. She's very interested in learning about this stuff, relating it to other things (mythology, folklore, etc.), figuring out references, etc.

Not sure why I put it here, it wasn't quite a sozlet story and it was kind of random -- basically the weird confluence of thinking about it and then boom the text. (She hasn't done anything churchy for about a month I'd say.)

I guess the random observation-ness of it too is that it's something I'm thinking about but I don't really have any conclusions but it's not new-thread worthy really. I have a strong feeling that C is going to have a crisis of faith, and I'm not sure what I think about that/ what it would mean. An obvious reaction is just that I'm not going to try to affect an outcome -- I won't limit sozlet's interaction with C for example so we don't get the blame.

C reminds E.G. a lot of himself, for good reason. She's very curious and rather rebellious. E.G. was raised Catholic and started moving away from religion when he was about 12, I think. (C is 11.)

C has a certain brand of "WHY" that I don't think will keep up with faith for very long, unless she makes a conscious decision to, which she might.

I did not realize that "to Kool-Aid" was actually a verb

As you probably know, I adhere to Richard Dawkins's theory about religion, which likens religions to viruses. Under this theory, we could interpret exposure to moderate, nondestructive religions as analogous to inoculation. (Inoculation works by exposing our bodies to weakened forms of the viruses that we wish to become immune to.) So even if I were a missionary of atheism, which I'm not, I would approve of this development. And of course, Sozlet may find that one of the humane, tolerant strains of Christianity enriches her life. If so, good for her! Why wouldn't she join it? Unless C's mom is both a fire-and-brimstone kind of pastor and unusually charismatic---is she?---I don't see why anything bad would come out of this.

I'm actually more concerned about the other side of the equation -- if C rejects religion.

If sozlet decides to become religious, that's fine.

I'd like to think C's mom would have the same reaction if C becomes agnostic, but I don't think so.

And people are pretty religious around here -- while there are other agnostic families, I think we're the only ones C has contact with.

What is it about this development that concerns you? What are you concerned might happen---that C's mom cuts Sozlet out of C's life for being a bad influence? That she cuts you out, making your social life more awkward? What's the worst that can happen?

The worst isn't that bad, no.

So what's the concern?

Well, it's a random observation.

I don't really have more conclusions than what I've already said.

Fair enough.

I would think you'd be the last person to hassle someone about a typo....

I think he was making a funny.

Is a striking number of men wearing red pants this summer, or does it just seem that way to me?

Not in New Mexico, America.

Hipsters ruin everything.

For math's and sciences there is the health and engineering field, and other set in stone fields/ careers (safety nets) for all the other subjects except for English. There seems to be not really anything that is as assuring as the other fields. Scrolling through uni course options, when wanting to pursue English, it feels like being pushed towards a cliff edge. Not really a job for English except for writer and article typist. However article typists often don't get to dictate what they write, while writers are often poor unless their books hit success.

It feels as though school was simply those eye barrier things on horses, making me unable to stand on my own feet and truly explore what I can do.. now that those "eye blockers" are nearing expiration. It looks like school is not perfect. Rather than an adult... I feel like a lost child overwhelmed...Anyone else feeling this way about school and uni applications?

They're called blinders.

And... welcome to becoming an adult. You learn, essentially, that absolutely nobody has the answers, and we're all winging it.

Life is three hedgehogs in a trench coat most of the time.

PS there are a LOT more things you can do with an English degree beyond writing and word processing (the latter doesn't require a degree at all). Google is your friend.