Essay 2.0

In response to a blog, to a blog, to comments on a blog, and kittens...

GAH!!! Fine.

Obviously, people think too much. ALL people think too much - and it has nothing to do with Dawson's Creek. So if TV isn't to blame then it must be a direct result of the Fall of Man (that's right - just like the fear of abandonment). Think about THAT!

There's stupid neanderthal Adam out bumming around in the Garden of Eden without a care in the world, enjoying life, basking in the sun, chatting with God, making out with Eve (probably more than that, they didn't wear clothes after all). And then he did it. He ate the forbidden fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good & Evil. (Go ahead, argue with me about who's fault that really was - Eve handed it to him, the snake insisted, whatever, I really don't care. The fact is it happened, literally or not, I don't really care about that either, the lesson is still the same.)

And suddenly, Adam had a conscience and could grasp the realities of good and evil. And for the first time, Adam realized that life wasn't all candy and lollipops! He was going to have to spend the rest of his life working his ass off trying to provide for his wife and ever-expanding family! Not to mention the fact that he was soon going to be homeless, and there were probably dinosaurs outside the walls of the Garden of Eden to contend with! And then he realized the most disgusting thing of all - he was naked! NAKED!! What the hell??! Speaking of hell, where's that stupid snake? Time to tromp on his head.

So Adam did what every single person on the planet has been doing ever since - he took all his thoughts and feelings and worries and nakedness, and covered it all up. Buried it deep inside, under layers and layers, so that none of it could escape. Ever.

Well guess what kids? Its a new day. This is the Dawning of the age of Aquarius after all, an age of knowledge and freedom of expression. Dare I even use the term 'postmodernism'?. Time to peel back those layers and explore the inner workings of the mind, to let your thoughts run free, and openly explore your vulnerabilities and nakedness with your friends, or even that creepy stalker on facebook. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?!

I come from a long line of very quite, very introverted people who pride themselves in their abilities to bottle their thoughts and emotions. Good Lord! Talk about how we feel? Are you crazy?! We don't even give out hugs, or say 'I love you', or get excited about Christmas! But the world has flipped that upside down, broken our bottles, and given us platforms and audiences for which to openly, and quite publicly, delve into the deep-seated emotions within: drama-filled TV shows, long rambling blogs, therapists, coffee houses, Post Secret, Twitter, those stupid quizzes all over facebook, - all feeding off this new need to share our innermost thoughts and horribly confusing feelings with the world!

But is it necessary?! Is it necessary? NO. And quiet honestly, I'm starting to think that it tends to cause more trouble than it can fix.

Chew on this for a bit:

¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. ¹⁷When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, ¹⁸and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. (Luke 2)

Mary just spent 9 months of her life being scared out of her mind that she was going to be stoned to death for being pregnant without being married (virgin - yeah right!), takes who-knows-how-long to walk to Bethlehem because of the stupid government, just before giving birth in a dirty old barn, beside a donkey, to a baby who, what angels, angels, have told her is the Son of GOD, and then a bunch of smelly shepherds come waltzing in (wouldn't that be pleasant? Sure boys, come on it! I just pushed a football out of my backside and feel like throwing up, and you guys smell like sheep crap, but yeah, lets have a party!), all hooting and hollering and waking up said newborn baby.

And what does Mary do?? She doesn't write a blog about her feelings, she doesn't call the local newspaper to sell her story, she doesn't spend the next six months laying on her psychiatrist's couch, she doesn't go crying to her mother, she doesn't even get pissed off and scream at Joseph! No. She 'treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart'.

Now, I'm all for open and honest communication, and once in awhile feelings just have to be shared, but for Pete's sake! Everyone's lives don't have to be a daily docu-drama spelled out on the internet for everyone else to read! Sometimes, you just need to ponder things in your heart(not on a blog); give them to God(not your friends/stalkers) and let Him sort it out for you(instead of making a bigger, messier, mess).

So when I say, 'What if we're getting so caught up in the little bits & pieces of life that we're missing the grander picture?', what I mean is that maybe we're over thinking things and just need to let that all go, trust God for just a moment that He actually has things under control, and ENJOY the beautiful simplicities of LIFE!

I considered going for a walk in the rain last night; I wish I had.
I also considered turning off the comments for this particular post - don't make me regret that decision too.

Thus endith the profound blog writing.