Disclaimer: I am not religious. I do believe that there is a God, and I do believe that everything has a way of working itself out in life. That being said, I don't prescribe to any particular monotheistic religion. I am very tolerant of other people's beliefs, however, and try to be respectful to all mankind regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, etc. That being said...
I had a hair appointment after school today. My friend Martin has been my hairdresser for the past 4 years and I think he's an absolute genius with a comb and scissors. After I spoke to him about my new relationship and the geographical turn it's about to take, he told me that he "doubted it will work out." "Don't you remember what you were like in college?" he asked, and I sighed.
After finishing my life-in-short recap, I asked what was new in his world. "I've been reading with the Jehovah's Witnesses," he says, much to my extreme shock. At this point, I completely disregarded his comment about Justin, dismissing him as "an unreliable source," and went on to nod and smile for the next 1+ hour of religious discussion.
To be honest, I found myself quite skeptical of all that he was saying and thought about how "cultish" I often find religion. The rampant hypocrisy, picking and choosing of Biblical messages to which to subscribe, and intolerance of other religions typically turns me quite off to the entire idea. So I listened patiently and told him, genuinely, that I was glad that he was happy, all the while thinking to myself that if I wasn't leaving California, I might need to find a new hairdresser.
After arriving home, as I began to close my garage I noticed something. I reopened my garage door and to my horror my car had been hit! Dear reader(s), I ask you to understand that less than a month ago I had $1,000 worth of body work done to repair my bumper (that a student hit) and to remove all dings and scrapes on the entire exterior of my dear Wendy (my car's name). So to see her blemished, with a broken tail light and a rather large blue and white scratch down her side, was depressing and frustrating. And curious.
Is God trying to prove a point? Was my lack of interest in Martin's stories and theories a catalyst for years of un-Christian-like behavior and an overall aversion to all things related to Jesus? It makes me wonder...
Although I'm not going to sign up for Sunday School quite yet, it does make return to my original personal goal of the year - to judge others less. And isn't that what life is about, finding signs and omens in the strangest of places, trying to refine your beliefs until you can be proud of yourself, your thoughts, and your actions? Well, I'd like to think that's what my life is about, and I would like to think that if I weren't leaving California, Martin would still be the man that I trusted with my hair and the friend that I trusted with my heart. So that's what I'm taking from all of this. I cannot change what has happened, but I can look at it from a different, less victim-like point of view.
I'm still really pissed about the car, though.
Time to go call my insurance company.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
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I wouldn’t put too much faith in the ramblings of your hairdresser. College affects the greatest change in the development of a person. As one ages, entropy gradually squeezes the heart and gnaws away at the mind, cementing its fundamental structure. It’s quite realistic that a long distance relationship may endure as ambitions erode with age and mediocrity replaces dreams.
ReplyDeleteYour philosophy is interesting in a time when few people contemplate a purpose to life, much less actively seek one out. I believe we would agree that prejudice is a negative thing: it makes judgment based on far too little. However, I would argue that stereotypes are useful tools, and that judgment is our greatest gift – that which elevates mankind beyond the rest of the animal kingdom; the capacity for analysis and critique is not merely an ability of mankind, but an obligation for any moral creature.
That’s why dolphins sometimes kill people. ;-)
Regarding religion, I believe it’s fair to stereotype the religious as sheep, or more specifically, Christians as hypocrites and ignorant, intolerant asses. But assuming that every individual Christian (as they are still individuals) will fit neatly into that box is foolishness. I have had the pleasure of meeting two very enlightened Christians that I count among the three most intelligent people I have met in my life. They were truly noble humans, who wanted nothing more than what was best for mankind and sought only to serve God to that end.
Intolerance is a part of judgment, and I can not believe it to be inherently wrong. Judgment is merely a tool, not an ends – it develops from the data obtained through observation (directly and indirectly) and is formulated by the mind. Only if the data is poor – corrupted through lies, or skewed percentages, or if the calculation is flawed – through madness or stupidity, should the judgment be inaccurate.
I’ve been told that I’m “violently intolerant of intolerance.” I prefer the Boondock Saints quote, “Now, we must all fear evil men. But there is another kind of evil which we must fear most, and that is the indifference of good men.”
I only have time to comment on the the first paragraph, although I could and should probably comment on the whole post.
ReplyDelete"It’s quite realistic that a long distance relationship may endure as ambitions erode with age and mediocrity replaces dreams," might be the second most depressing thing I've heard you say. The first being, "the smarter you are, the less likely it is that you will truly be happy."
It quite saddens me, Brian, that you see life like this. Maybe I'm idealistic, and maybe I will never be happy, but the day that I stop dreaming and that my ambitions erode is the day that I hope to get hit by a bus.
This is such a negative view of mankind, and although I think it might be true for some, I sure hope it isn't true for me and those I choose to surround myself with.
Again, maybe I'm being idealistic, but I like my bubble, and it's motivation for me to awake in the morning. If I thought my future only consisted of a series of "settlings" and "mediocre goals" I would curl up in the fetal position and sob. I have to believe that there is more ahead in life than that, otherwise life doesn't seem worth living.
Here's to hoping I don't get hit by a bus today.