Observe the noise. Spew in silence. July 29, 2008
Posted by NettyD in Music, Philosophy.1 comment so far
You know how there are things you know about yourself, but it’s only when you pay attention to them they really exist? Sometimes I blow up or get really emotional, and then on the come down I say to myself, “You know how you get, so why do you let yourself get like that?”
I hate having this conversation with myself. For every moment I consider myself a logical thinker, there are five moments when I know I’m just an emotional retard.
So lately, I’ve recognized these conundrums I’ve been putting myself in and deciding that I’m going to catch them before they happen. For me, that means being vocal in silence and then shutting my mouth in the noise.
I had two synchronous moments a few weeks back that prompted the same idea. One moment was during the Ani DiFranco concert. I realized that even though it was very loud in the arena with the live music and the crowd’s reaction to it, I was personally having a moment of silence. There was a stillness coming from within while I was in this environment. The other moment was while listening to a new song that contains the lyric, “An uncomfortable silence can be so loud.” That line struck a chord with me because it’s so damn true.
Anyway, I realized how the two moments related, and it uncovered something that can help me in my emotional moments of madness: Observe the noise. Spew in silence.
A hot new blog! July 4, 2008
Posted by NettyD in From the blogger, Millennials, Philosophy, Religion.add a comment
My dear friend Alex, who now goes by Brother Damian, has a new blog about his life as a monk! He is a novice-monk of the Missionary Benedictine monastery of Christ the King Priory in Schuyler, Nebraska. He’s just starting it up, but I know for a fact that this will be a great blog to keep up with!
Check it out at www.nebraskamonk.wordpress.com Or click on the link under my Blogroll to the right. Enjoy!
Philosophy 911 December 9, 2007
Posted by NettyD in Lifestyle, Philosophy, Theories and Thoughts.1 comment so far
SITUATION: A friend of yours has been murdered. His parents do not want to have a memorial service for him. You and other friends of the deceased feel that a service should be held to respectfully celebrate your friend’s life.
QUESTION: Can friends of the deceased organize a memorial service, despite the choice of the immediate family not to do so?
The faithless are not cold, bitter Scrooges. December 3, 2007
Posted by NettyD in Philosophy, Religion, Sociology, Theories and Thoughts.2 comments
This December I have been invited to five different holiday parties. It has made me take an honest and in-depth look at who I am and what I believe. The dilemma I have is that although I don’t celebrate any of these holidays personally, I see nothing wrong with celebrating life through the festivity of the season. I’m not religious, I am not African-American, and winter is my least favorite season. But please trust me -I’m not a Scrooge! It bothers me when agnostics and atheists are classified as cold, hard, and arrogant. I don’t understand why these adjectives are so easily placed on us!To not believe in religion is not to be heartless. We feel the same way everyone else does when our relative dies, or when a child’s face lights up. We need hugs and kisses too, and we have positive ideas about the direction of the world. Emotions are still a part of our basic human function, and our not sticking them in a box and labeling them doesn’t mean we are less spiritual.That’s why when deciding on whether or not I would participate in these upcoming functions, I decided to rely on my instinct. And my instinct told me that disassociating myself from others during the season would be rude and selfish, and would undoubtedly strain personal relationships. It does more good when we get out of our comfort zones and try to relate to others we are different from, than when we shelter ourselves from a false fear. The next time you speak or interact with an agnostic or atheist, I beg of you to not write this person off as a pompous, heartless bastard.And my wish for this season is for everyone to close their stomachs and open their minds.Cheers!
Philosophy 911 November 28, 2007
Posted by NettyD in Philosophy, Theories and Thoughts.2 comments
Having been inspired by Alexander McCall Smith’s series of books, The Sunday Philosophy Club, I’ve decided to start a new blog series that raises moral and ethical questions to you, the readers. I’m hoping for diverse answers from all of you, so don’t hold back!
[Photo courtesy of simmons.edu]
SITUATION:
Mr. and Mrs. Z have given birth to their first child, who has been born with a permanent genetic illness. Mr. and Mrs. Z would like to have more children, but figure it is a good idea to get prenatal screenings to see what the chances are of producing another child with this illness. It is discovered that in order for the illness to be present in the offspring, BOTH parents must carry the gene. It is also determined that Mrs. Z is a carrier, but Mr. Z is not! This deduces that the father of the child is another man.
QUESTION:
How should the doctor or medical facility break the news? Should only Mrs. Z be told, and then left to inform her husband? Or is it the doctor’s responsibility to maintain the professional relationship he has with Mr. Z and tell him the news?
