Who do you wanna be?

When we play Monopoly, this is an easy choice - I am the garden cart.

A couple of years ago when Twister came out, I realized the answer to this. I want to be Aunt Meg - who cooks up eggs and steaks for everyone - full house complete with laughter and sweet tea. You know what made her character desireable? She genuinely LOVED the folks at her house - loved their presence, their oddities and she wasn't afraid to say so. Her character exemplified what I think is important - showing up in the first place. She knew the pain and wasn't afraid to talk about things that were hurtful - and in talking about them, she reafirmed and put the salve of understanding on a raw wound. And in true loner form, she wanted to drive herself to the hospital after the tornado- only her car was in a tree around the corner. I wonder when I am older if my house and my heart will be full like those scenes in the movie. I hope so.

I had a discussion with Josh about this - what we decide as a teenager, the choices we make about friends, and sports and how we behave will shape what kind of adult we are - and how people view us. I asked him to make his choices based on what kind of man he wanted to be - having now seen both good men like my dad and Justin, and very bad hateful men like the Ogre. Sometimes emulating someone you admire can be a good way to decide what to do when you are fourteen.

I wonder if my house will be a lot like Jim's house, with a plot of garden to feed us and a sustainable farm that is good for the land it rests on. I like that idea, it fills my head with good dreams about zinnias and the bright yellow squash blossoms and plump blueberries on the bushes.

Being a granola-head, a term I use way to frequently, doesn't necessarily apply to my politics - more to my religion. The same God who created me, also made the earth, and her stars and streams and birds and all the creatures. They are my brothers and sisters, crafted from the same consciousness, being the same spark in our Father's eye. And it seems only right to take care of those things we have been entrusted.St Francis of Assisi was my patron saint when I had the sacrament of Confirmation, and I think it was a good choice since he and I both preach to the birds.