Yes, this is a lazy first title, but I
just spent an entire night sitting up in bed with my laptop googling words and
checking thesauruses to find the title that most perfectly (and concisely) fits
who I am, who my family is, what this blog is all about. I keep trying to fit one more word into it,
but overall I like it. I am trying it on
for size, or taking it for a spin around the block (to use another metaphor)
before I then use it to create a personal email. The point of saying all that is I have no
energy left to put into a title for just ONE DAY.
I will do my best, however, to not use titles like today's as a
rule. First of all, that gimmick is sort
of the intellectual property of the writers of Friends. Doing it once as a nod to a great show is
enough. Second, the grammar is already
killing me. I really wish it said
"The One in Which I Start a Blog."
I think. Wouldn’t Mr. McCandlish,
my AP English teacher, be proud that I still care? (The man had a shirt
hanging in his classroom that read "If you don't give a damn about the
comma, what DO you care about?" I
have been tormented over my comma use ever since.)
The other thing I will not make a habit of doing is rambling
as I am now. This post will give you a
good idea of my "voice", (Does the comma above go inside the quotes?
Curse you McCandlish the English teacher!!) and I think that is important
before I delve into topics that could be quite serious. I have been
misunderstood for being harsh, judgmental, and many other things that no one
ever assumes when speaking to me in real life.
I have become convinced that, this too, is McCandlish's fault. I speak with most of the locally accepted
grammar errors and colloquialisms, but was taught to write well. Therefore my writing often comes off more
seriously than my intent. So when you
feel temped to hate me, shift the blame to the curmudgeon who trained me.
SO WHAT ON EARTH IS THIS BLOG ABOUT ANYWAY?
I am glad you asked! (See what I did here? I am acting like we are in a conversation. Clever, eh?)
Since I took eight hours to come up with a title, I suppose
I should unpack it for you. I just hope
I can put it all back together when I am done.
1. This Blog is About Me
Aren't most blogs?
Mine is no different, except I have no time - nor desire - to make this
a journal of my life. It is about what interests me and affects my life. It is more specifically about
my perspective on things, why I have that perspective, and how that affects my
interactions with others and the world around me.
What I have found is, that in more areas than one, I am not
quite in the mainstream. However, I am
also not completely independent or recognizably counter-culture. I could almost call this blog Somewhat Set
Apart, but there is more to it than that. This blog is where I am, it is the place where I can live freely set apart.
2. This Blog is About My Children
Again, this is not so much to recount their experiences in
softball and scouts, but to share how our unique family is perceived by others
•There are many of us.
The minute you realize every prize package is for a family of four, you
know you are set apart.
•We homeschool and we have kids in public school. This is the first of many issues where we
straddle a line that has divided many.
And we feel like we are living in no man's land.
•Some of the children are on the Autism Spectrum. Autism by nature sets you apart. Regardless of one's ability to communicate
and interact with the general population, a person with Autism is wired
differently. Also, the minute a parent receives
a diagnosis, they are asked to choose up sides: neurodiversty or cure? You also have to field questions and comments
from people who are ignorant of what Autism Spectrum Disorder is. Finally, we
have high functioning children, which means we are not fully immersed in the
services and world of the child with greater challenges. So both parents are somewhere on
the outside of both the neurotypical worlds and the world of Autism support.
•Some in the family have ADHD. Again, our brains are wired differently. And even at our very best, when we even
outshine the "normal" people we have to do it in a way that makes no
sense to the outside world. (Plus once
you have proven success, they have no idea why you cannot replicate it
tomorrow.)
•One of my children has a mood disorder. In her own words she feels she has to deal
with problems much different than others do.
Her diagnosis is often invalidated by people who only see one side of
her. And this child is often on the
sidelines even with a busy extra-curricular schedule.
3. This Blog is About My Faith
This is not a devotional.
I am not saying it can't happen, but I am not setting out to write a
daily inspiration for people. This is about how I
am set apart in various ways because of my beliefs.
•I am a believer in Jesus.
The word "sanctified” means set apart. I am set apart to do His will.
•I worship in a Messianic Jewish context. The Jews were God's chosen people, set apart
to bring the Messiah to the nations.
Studying God's word from a Hebraic standpoint sets one apart from most
of Christendom - and we are oft misunderstood. Loving the Biblical (and just
cultural) traditions that are rooted in Judaism while affirming that
Yeshua/Jesus is the Messiah set one apart from Jews. At times one feels like a bridge, other times
like a lonely island. In addition, I am
pretty sure I am a gentile - yet I am drawn to the Hebraic Roots of my faith
and identify with Israel. Depending on
the commentator that means different things as far as my participation, but it
makes less sense to others than does a Jew who worships Yeshua.
•I don't toe the party line.
I will say I am conservative because I take the Word of God very
seriously. And that means, as long as the context makes sense, I take things
that are said at face value. However, I
do not take what teachers say at face value, and I am willing to look for
myself to see if even mainstream doctrines might not be correct. Sometimes it is tradition that has been proof
texted. Sometimes two seemingly opposite
understandings are derived, and I will no longer assume that the
"underdog" side is the heretic.
I also have detached myself from much of evangelical culture. Sometimes I feel they can be too set apart
-but that results with me being once again on the outside.
4. This Blog is About Parenting and Discipline
I put this separate from my "children" category for a reason. This is an area I am
passionate about. I believe this is one area where many have followed the
status quo without even pondering that there could be something better out
there. Yes, I said better. But I am talking about the method, paradigm,
and tools - not the parent. And with
anything in life, ideals are only as good as their ability to adjust to
variables. Sometimes ideal in a certain
situation is the exact opposite of a general ideal.
But on topic. I believe
that parenting can be done gently and without punishment. (I will clarify later.) I believe that attachment parenting
-including things like breastfeeding, baby wearing, and sleep sharing- are
important. Obviously these things set me
apart both in the Christian and secular culture in North America. But I am mainstream in most of the rest of
the world.
5. This Blog is About Alternative Lifestyles
I look fairly mainstream.
I eat fairly mainstream. My health practices are fairly mainstream. But my philosophies are more
alternative. I am making baby steps to
become more natural in my lifestyle.
That is often called crunchy (like granola). I am just mildly crispy. Some of my choices do not even ping the
neo-hippie radar, but they make me seem a bit odd to most suburbanites.
6. This Blog is About
Being Honest
I am not very political, and I do not use Facebook as a place
to lobby. I stay out of most
controversial conversations in real life as well. It is part of my personality to not want to
offend anyone - ever. (That is, of
course, impossible.) I realize
sometimes others might be encouraged by my point of view. So in areas where I am passionate, I am not
going to hide that to spare feelings. Of
course I will use tact and love, and I am still not going to comment on every
news piece. I will just give my take on those things that reflect
my true nature and passion.
So there it is in a nutshell. (If that nut was huge.)
