Answering the "Cool Kids" questions

Now that I'm an adult and more or less comfortable in my skin, I can do what the Cool Kids are doing without feeling like a poser. So here you go, it's some tag-yourself-answer-game fun! Hat-tip Theresa, Beck, and The H.

Why do you blog?
I started blogging because I had no one to connect with. My best friend had moved away, and I was pregnant. The only person I had was Rob. Plus, we were baby Lutherans and I needed to spout out my ideas. I really only journal (or blog) in times of change. I am blogging now because I know it is a good exercise for me. I need to be in the habit of writing, and this is the only thing that keeps me going. I have made so many connections with other people that love the things I love that I am encouraged to write so that we can continue to share our ideas.

What has been your best blogging experience?
My best blogging experience. Hmmmmm....
I would have to say the support I had from all the Lutheran Bloggers when we were waiting for Olivia to be born was pretty top notch. That really helped me get through those last few weeks. Or months, it all feels the same when you're the size of three whales.

What would be your main advice to a novice blogger?
Blog about what you know. There are tons of people out there who know what you don't know, and you will learn from them. But you're the only one who knows exactly what you know. Rob knows about newspapers, graphic design, macs, music and theology. He's going to share his world with you in a different way than I would since I know about linguistics, medieval literature, mothering, making baby food, and do-it-yourself crafting. If you try to blog about what that guy over there knows, he'll soon discover you blogging about his knowledge, determine that you know nothing about what he knows, and then publicly blast you for it.

If you only had time to read three blogs a day, what would they be?
I can't only read three blogs a day. But I guess I'd read the ones that the most people I like are commenting on. That way I can connect with everyone as quickly as possible. So I think that would be Bunnie, John H. and HWS. I think I'd like to add that I'll be checking these lovebirds regularly, too, cause I'm a sucker for a good love story.

Who are your spiritual heroes?
Rob is my first spiritual hero. Then I guess it would be Jesus, Luther, and my pastor. I'm not a big theology reader so I don't have all the cool names you all have listed. I learn my theology second hand, from Rob and bloggers.

What are you reading at the moment?
Real estate listings. I am the kind of person who obsesses over whatever life stage I'm in. When I was pregnant I read baby books, when I was getting married I read wedding books, when I became a Lutheran I read Lutheran books, and so now that we're buying a house I can't read anything except house stuff.

What is your favorite hymn and why?
I come, O Savior, to Thy Table because I love communion more than anything else in the world. I'm going to share something weird about myself from back when I was a pagan highschooler.

I used to ask my closest friends this really odd question: "If I exploded, would you eat my fragments?" Gross, I know. I don't know where I came up with that, but I used to explain to my friends who replied, "Gross! Why?!" that if they did it was the only way I'd live forever. Then when they exploded, and someone ate their fragments, they would then eat the by product of my fragments, etc.

Thinking about that now, I wonder if there was any underlying Catholicism in my thinking. Did I know that it was only by the eating of flesh that I would have eternal life? I had known it before, so maybe it was spilling over. I don't know.

The reaction that my friends had when I asked if they'd eat me in jest was similar to the reaction that Jesus got in John 6 when he said that we'd have to eat him, or else. Only I was joking and I'd never actually be able to break my body for my friends the way Christ did. When I think about how absurd we think it is to eat flesh, but Jesus lets us do it anyway, I am moved. Jesus isn't out to give us what we want, he's out to give us what we need, whether we like it or not. That is why I love communion more than anything else in the world.

I'm sure now that if you didn't think I was nuts before I have you convinced now!

Can you name a major moral, political, or intellectual issue on which you’ve changed your mind?
I haven't made my mind up about most things yet. So I don't know how to answer this question.

What philosophical thesis do you think that it is most important to combat?
Pluralism.

If you could affect one major change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
There wouldn't be two political parties, and there wouldn't be two media giants that make it impossible for the candidates to actually discuss their position on issues honestly. As it is now, we have to guess on politicians motives and that's just silly.

If you could effect one major policy change in your denomination, what would it be?
We'd all take communion every week.

What would be your most important piece of advice about life?
It's not always your husband's fault. I've seen a few marriages fail because the couple begins to internally blame the other person for everything wrong in their life. I mean, they married you because they love you, not because they're really out to get you and ruin your life.

What, if anything, do you worry about?
I worry that Olivia will be kidnapped and we'll never find her. Then she'll be alive somewhere in this world, and we'll never know. She'd be raised by some evil kidnapper guy, and never have any memory of us, and how much we love her.

If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything that you’d do differently?
Ton's of things. That's why Jesus died for me.

Where would you most like to live (other than where you do now)?
In a house.

I'm just kidding. I would probably want to live in the south, or in Ireland. Maybe in China, but not until I'm older.

What do you like doing in your spare time? There isn't one singular thing that I like to do in my spare time. I read blogs, I craft, I teach myself how to do things I don't yet know how to do. I walk, I eat, I cook, I paint, I sing, I play guitar (Not as often as I should), I play with Olivia. I love spare time.

What is your most treasured possession?
Hmmm... I am going to try to answer this as superficially as possible. I think that everything that I have made for our home is treasured to me. It reminds me of how much I love my family, and how hard I work. I try to show the people I love how much I love them by my creativity.

What talent would you most like to have?
I want to be a better writer. I also want to learn how to play the flute, and the hammer dulcimer. Oh yeah, I want to play the violin, too.

If you could have any three guests, past or present to dinner, who would they be?
I would want to invite all my blogging friends over, three at a time. I'd serve salmon and roasted veggies. I'd even make bread in my bread maker. Plus I have a bottle of really cheap wine in my fridge that I'd like to use to make smoothies, and you're welcome to try one.

Ok, your turn...