The Out Campaign: Scarlet Letter of Atheism

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

You Think You Know Someone

It's funny how you think you know someone well, and that can be totally changed in the blink of an eye.

Art (my long-suffering) boyfriend and I went up to the Gropius House in Lincoln a few weeks back. (I highly recommend it, it's amazing.  http://www.historicnewengland.org/  )

Now Art and I have been together for nearly four years now. I wouldn't say that I know every single thing about him, but I really thought that I had an idea of his personality and general knowledge of his likes and dislikes. I can usually predict how he'll feel about something with pretty close accuracy.

On the day at the Gropius House, we were walking around the grounds, waiting for our tour to start. I was the most amazing thing...there was a stone wall made out of square stones, and wrapped around the stones was a beautiful, two and half foot milk snake. The snake had wrapped around the stones in a way that made an intricate, geometric pattern.

I cursed myself for forgetting my camera, then I remembered Art had his. I called him over to take a picture of the snake.

Art couldn't take the picture, however, because he was too  busy running for the car  and screaming like a girl at the mention of the word "snake".

At first I thought he was kidding, and I started making jokes about the poisonous rattlesnake. Then I realized he was dead serious. A grown man afraid of a milk snake.  He's a man who routinely camps out, has hiked the white mountains, is really "outdoorsy".  A milk snake.

I nearly laughed myself into a coma. I just couldn't believe it. The funnier I thought it was, the madder he got at me. He threatened to find something I was afraid of and laugh at me. I told him, "Dude, I routinely have rats crawling all over me, you think I'm seriously afraid of any animal?" That didn't go over well.

It wasn't until the big, ferocious milk snake had gone back into his  hole and Art was safe, that he could begin to see the humor in it, but he still doesn't find it as amusing I did.

P.S. Art took exception at me saying that he "screamed like a girl". He's right, he was too busy whimpering to really get out a good scream.

Monday, May 3, 2010

What Kind of Old Lady I Wish to Be.

A friend recently posted a Facebook status about an elderly woman she knows who serves as role model for aging with grace and dignity.

Got me thinking about how I would like to age.

I didn't have to think long, an inspiring role model jumped right to the fore-front of my thoughts.

I don't remember her name, so I'll never be able to properly thank her, but maybe someday when I'm an old lady, I can pass on the wisdom that I learned from her and make a difference to a younger woman.

The story took place at a demonstration of Polynesian dancing. They showed many different types of dancing, from all over the Pacific Islands. It was very entertaining and educational.

There was a woman in the audience celebrating her 85th birthday with a large group of family and friends.

The entertainers called her up on stage and sang "Happy Birthday" to her.  She looked like she was having the time of her life.

When it was time for her to leave the stage, the Mistress of Ceremonies offered her arm to help her down the stairs.

She politely waved off  the MC and called over to a group of half-naked Polynesian Dancing Boys, and requested that they help her of the stage instead.

I immediately sat right up and said, "That's EXACTLY the kind of old lady I want to be!"

So I have live my life in the quest of being like that 85 year old woman, whoever she was, where ever she is now.

Here is a picture of some of those boys. My my my.