I have a hard time with labels because I'm an excellent bullshitter and circle-talker.
I rarely find terms or concepts that I whole-heartedly believe in or identify with.
So, I often make up my own.
I'm the child of a reformed Mennonite and a Southern Baptist.
I did my whole rebellious "you're wrong, there is no god" deal and it didn't fit either.
I've done a lot of surface reading of texts from different philosophical theories and none
really seemed to fit either. So I decided that there really isn't a right or a wrong.
I'd like to believe that whatever a person believes is what is true for them.
For example, I don't think I'm going to heaven when I die because I don't believe
in a particular heaven.
I'd like to think I'll be reincarnated, but whatever works. I know that
when I do die, I'll be dead. I live my life by what I think is right or wrong for me.
I'm a moralist, I suppose. There's no text to tell me what to do or guide me,
I look internally and base decisions on my experiences.
I am, though, a student. I think I'll always be. For awhile, I didn't pursue organized
studies and when I returned to formal education, I forgot how much I liked learning,
exploring, writing, and teaching other people about what I learned.
I'm also a bit of a guide. People turn to me for advice, knowledge, etc.
I've always been that person who set aside time to listen to the issues of others.
I enjoy it, I'm good at it.
So I sorta identify with that role as well.
Culturally, I''m a bit of a hippy artist at heart.
I love finding random art and beauty in the unexpected places.
And I seek it out. I like music and am learning to appreciate the technical side as S
learns guitar and shows me how dang hard it is. But I'm no musician.
Nor am I a successful artist. I'm an appreciator of culture.
I don't identify with a particular ethnic culture as I'm 98% german and
with a wee bit of UK-ness in there.
But it was never a part of my growing up or childhood.
My maternal grandfather didn't identify with much from his father's side and
my paternal side were all conscientious objectors and emigrated from
Austria and Germany before anything really soaked in.
Or maybe everything leached out when they hit Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
I'm a Floridian at heart.
Love the beach, love the outside.
The combination of outside and music and bugs and fires and thunderstorms
and alcoholic beverages.
So, I'm for legalization of many things that don't hurt other people (except cousin sex),
against people controlling my ability to pursue what I want in life (that doesn't hurt or
negatively impact other people in a life-altering manner), a strong supporter of
assisted exits from this life when this life is too unbearable due to disease and
the ability to say whatever the fuck you want
as long as I get to retain my right to listen or ignore you.
Hi, I'm n0odle.
