konnichiwa! :)
Haven't posted in quite a while.
I was wondering how you all think about feeling an age that conflicts with the body to the point of something similar like being transgender, but instead of feeling like 1 sex or another, feeling a certain age... I know lots of people want to stay young, but in my case it seems pretty extreme. Ever since going past the age of 12, it feels like I've lost such a big part of me that I can't even consider myself to be anything human. The biggest thing has been not being able to express what I truly feel. The response from people around is just too big for me to be ok with, as it is. :(
What do you guys think?
I wonder if there's people out there that feel like they should be really old :S
When I was little and rake thin and short, I used to hate it and want to grow up soon.
Now I am of average height, fairly plump and have a solid physical presence in a room, I feel much more myself. I reckon I will feel good when I am an older man - I think I was born to be slightly statesmanlike. I feel I am just waiting to be Sam Johnson.
Quote from: Pica Pica on March 25, 2009, 06:58:20 PM
When I was little and rake thin and short, I used to hate it and want to grow up soon.
Now I am of average height, fairly plump and have a solid physical presence in a room, I feel much more myself. I reckon I will feel good when I am an older man - I think I was born to be slightly statesmanlike. I feel I am just waiting to be Sam Johnson.
That's funny because I want to be the exact opposite. I want to be small and slim. Dunno who Sam Johnson is :P
With age comes responsibility. Perhaps that is why you don't want to grow up, just like Peter Pan?
I'm looking forward to getting older. The older I get the more I like it. I get confidence, wisdom, experience, more happyness, better computer games, better credit rating, deeper love, grey hair (I found another :D, looks like I will go silver at the temples), satisfaction, life well lived. Not that I am not living in the moment. I love having a relatively youthful body and using it.
I don't think I have any age dysphoria. Though now that I have come out and get to express myself I am feeling like a teenager again, which is weird in the context of my 30's body.
Quote from: Saraloop on March 25, 2009, 07:00:31 PM
Dunno who Sam Johnson is
you people really :) Not keeping up to date with my heroes and obsessions. (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F5%2F50%2FSamuel_Johnson_by_Joshua_Reynolds_2.png%2F446px-Samuel_Johnson_by_Joshua_Reynolds_2.png&hash=d950fa17522e2b6b7e3e2225f66973d9828358a2)
regarded as one of the only truly great english critics. essaist and writer of the first comprehensive english dictionaries. The hub which all 18th century literary life surrounded, and a funny man to boot.
He reminds me of Rumpold.
everyone had wigs then, sammy's were usually singed because he had poor eyesight (as you can see) and used to hold a candle up close and not notice that he was burning it.
Quote from: Saraloop on March 25, 2009, 06:54:51 PM
konnichiwa! :)
Haven't posted in quite a while.
I was wondering how you all think about feeling an age that conflicts with the body to the point of something similar like being transgender, but instead of feeling like 1 sex or another, feeling a certain age... I know lots of people want to stay young, but in my case it seems pretty extreme. Ever since going past the age of 12, it feels like I've lost such a big part of me that I can't even consider myself to be anything human. The biggest thing has been not being able to express what I truly feel. The response from people around is just too big for me to be ok with, as it is. :(
What do you guys think?
I wonder if there's people out there that feel like they should be really old :S
well, i don't know how this relates to you androgynes, but i always felt the same way after age 12 (well age 11 really) because it was so much easier to feel like a boy before puberty. then all the girl body stuff just ruined eveyrthing for me and i was never myself again.
Quote from: Pica Pica on March 25, 2009, 07:07:30 PM
you people really :) Not keeping up to date with my heroes and obsessions. (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fthumb%2F5%2F50%2FSamuel_Johnson_by_Joshua_Reynolds_2.png%2F446px-Samuel_Johnson_by_Joshua_Reynolds_2.png&hash=d950fa17522e2b6b7e3e2225f66973d9828358a2)
regarded as one of the only truly great english critics. essaist and writer of the first comprehensive english dictionaries. The hub which all 18th century literary life surrounded, and a funny man to boot.
oh you're there. just slap a wig on.
sam johnson aside (random), I think for me puberty did it. When I was little, gender didn't matter and we were all the same size. I went through puberty earlier than a lot of kids, so I was quickly one of the tallest in my class before middle school and I was really awkward then. It was better before all that mess. My body was way ahead of the rest of me.
Yeh I think the odd event of puberty is definitly an unwelcomed change when you don't feel you should be turning into something weird that doesn't fit with what you had in mind. For me the gender does play a role, but it feels like it's mostly the size and build, as well as the added expectations from society. :S
It's stupid, why should I suppress how I want to act just because I'm older now.
As for Sam Johnson, that's quite an interesting direction .. hehe
I am a naturally childish person, i like to feel innocent and irresponsible, i think in a way i am just plain terrified of growing up, partially due to androgyny partly due to plain fear of the future......
I'm actually fairly comfortable as the age that I am (35). If anyone offered me the chance to go back and be a kid again I would probably either run screaming off the nearest cliff or beat them to death with their own shoes. I find trying to survive as an adult far, far less of a struggle than trying to survive childhood in my parents' home. The only thing I hate about being 35 is being 35 with no achievements and nothing to be proud of. That sucks. (TBH I get kind of wound up at times by the whole androgyne = unicorns eternal children pwetty pwetty faiwies stuff.)
Physically I had a fairly early puberty, so the last androgynous body I remember would have been about 9. I would not want my 9-year-old body back since my mental ideal is a mature adult male or male-of-centre body. Having a small, weak body would be no better than having a big fat one.
I think I should be 19. 20 maybe. Or 24.
Fortunately, I'm 18, so these are all coming up soon.
Being 18 has sucked though. Too much change and pressure. :P
Maybe I watch too much Monday Night (American) Football, but that picture of Sam Johnson looks a whole like John Madden to me.....BOOM!
As far as the age thing...puberty was a bummer--dang hair growing everywhere.
I did, however, go through feeling like a teenager when I got divorced (after 20+ years), and once again when I truly accepted being TG. Of course, as an old fart, it could just be a "second childhood"...
...L
Half the time I feel OLD!.. mostly because I've lost patience with the infantile idiocy of people my age.
The rest of the time I feel Young!.. mostly because I've no patience with people trying to be serious about things that aren't worth being serious about.
But all the time, I feel age as a number is irrelevant. That the number of times you've rode this spinning orb of rock and other matter around the sun is not a good measure of your maturity or ability to amuse yourself.
Quote from: Laurry on April 03, 2009, 12:43:22 PM
Maybe I watch too much Monday Night (American) Football, but that picture of Sam Johnson looks a whole like John Madden to me.....BOOM!
Oh my god! He totally does! "There's a guy who when he runs, he goes faster!"
I feel rather ageless. I don't mind being a kid and playing sardines or having scavenger hunts with my friends (we range mid twenties to early thirties). But I am also more mature than people my parents age and I get along with anyone...in fact, I love talking to older people (senior citizens are awesome :D).
(https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2Fd%2Fdf%2FSusan_Collins_and_John_Madden.jpg&hash=a744bdc2b2e4401fa1227bfb2482d0fe86489f67)
I never heard of this man, but he does
John Madden is a commentator and former American football coach.
Frank Caliendo - Letterman - Impressionists Week (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqN8v5pZC54#lq-lq2)
this is Frank Caliendo as John Madden on David Letterman.
So most of you don't have much of an issue with age except puberty itself, right? I think for me it's much more than just that.
Has anyone heard of anything like someone having age dysphoria?
Maybe like those guys that went into a coma for 20 years or something.
..I think it just all comes down to not being able to act like one's true self. .. if I could I'd like to eliminate all of society's unreasonable restrictions, both on gender roles and age roles, and everything else judgemental.. as long as someone doesn't harm others, we should be able to be and act how we truly want. sure it'd be a bit chaotic in some situations, but that would also make things more interesting.
Revolution!
Well I am not a kid anymore, but I still believe in fairies, I like playing with dolls (in fact I collect them), and I still sleep with my teddy bear every night. (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cosgan.de%2Fimages%2Fsmilie%2Ftiere%2Fk020.gif&hash=d05d124b69817bd987b4dc8a0d3a3a7e6257339b)
however, there's no way I would go back to being a kid again if it meant I had to be as miserable and naive as I was then.
Quote from: FairyGirl on April 04, 2009, 10:41:58 AM
Well I am not a kid anymore, but I still believe in fairies, I like playing with dolls (in fact I collect them), and I still sleep with my teddy bear every night. (https://www.susans.org/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cosgan.de%2Fimages%2Fsmilie%2Ftiere%2Fk020.gif&hash=d05d124b69817bd987b4dc8a0d3a3a7e6257339b)
however, there's no way I would go back to being a kid again if it meant I had to be as miserable and naive as I was then.
What if you could be a kid but retain all of your current knowledge and mental bearrings?
Quote from: Saraloop on April 04, 2009, 11:08:57 AM
What if you could be a kid but retain all of your current knowledge and mental bearrings?
I'd be a seriously dangerous kid >:-)
Quote from: Saraloop on April 04, 2009, 11:08:57 AM
What if you could be a kid but retain all of your current knowledge and mental bearrings?
I'd be an adult in a kids body. It would suck.
Quote from: Nicky on April 05, 2009, 04:40:13 PM
I'd be an adult in a kids body. It would suck.
For you :-\
In my case it'd be far from sucky for me yahaha
Quote from: Saraloop on April 04, 2009, 11:08:57 AM
What if you could be a kid but retain all of your current knowledge and mental bearrings?
Not sure that would help in my case. Most of the things that caused me unhappiness as a kid are the same things that cause unhappiness now: chiefly bullying, discrimination, verbal harassment, emotional abuse. Somehow I've never been able to stop those things from happening to me, even with my greater knowledge.
Quote from: Lokaeign on April 05, 2009, 06:45:10 PM
Not sure that would help in my case. Most of the things that caused me unhappiness as a kid are the same things that cause unhappiness now: chiefly bullying, discrimination, verbal harassment, emotional abuse. Somehow I've never been able to stop those things from happening to me, even with my greater knowledge.
Greater experience wouldn't necessarily stop those forms of harassment, but they would help how you interpret it. I don't know about you, but verbal harassment doesn't bother me now, so even though other stuff can, I think I'd be better off, and also because I'd be in a form that society usually puts less expectations on, it would allow me to more freely act like myself. .. it'd be likethe merging of the carefreeness we used to have with the sense of self we've developed while living.
.. :-\
i'd like to be a kid with my memories and lessons, i'd take more time to enjoy it.
I don't really remember being carefree as a kid--I was terrified a lot of the time. If anything, I'm more carefree now.
the only potential benefit of being a child again (to me) is to take preventive measures to try and keep my body from becoming as fubar as it is right now. Bypass pain sort of thing.
That and I'd ace more tests and have better ideas of how to verbally humiliate the bullies in my school.
with age comes wisdom? the older I get the more comfortable I feel in my skin. As you age you no longer seem to play hide and seek, that is, hiding or supressing your self percieved differences and seeking approval and justification form external sources
Quote from: Saraloop on April 04, 2009, 11:08:57 AM
What if you could be a kid but retain all of your current knowledge and mental bearrings?
I'd be one seriously jaded and cynical kid.
Quote from: Saraloop on April 04, 2009, 11:08:57 AM
What if you could be a kid but retain all of your current knowledge and mental bearrings?
OMG! I'd have an amazing sex life! ;D
Quote from: KYLYKaHYT on April 07, 2009, 07:20:49 AM
I'd be one seriously jaded and cynical kid.
I was a serious and cynical kid... :(
"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now" Dylan
Z
I was referring to teenage years, not childhood.
Quote from: imaz on April 07, 2009, 09:52:16 AM
I was referring to teenage years, not childhood.
Lolita
QuoteFairyGirl
Well I am not a kid anymore, but I still believe in fairies, I like playing with dolls (in fact I collect them), and I still sleep with my teddy bear every night.
Actually I had a wonderful childhood except at school. I was I suppose what one would call an androgynous kid. I didn't think of myself as either sex, I was just me. I fitted in better with girls then with boys, after school. I didn't change much through my teen years.
I Guess, as I call it coming to terms with my inner self, became my true self I guess I kind of wnet through a second childhood, dolls stuffies and other girlish knick knacks and I love fantasy and mystical criters and beings, like fairies, mermaids and dragons.
I still have all that stuff but this apartment is to small to take all my stuff out. Can't wait to move into a bigger place so I can take out all of my stuff.
Even though I am 63 most times I feel like I'm only 13. ;D Life is good.
Cindy
i never grew up. that's my problem.
Quote from: Nero on April 07, 2009, 11:56:13 AM
i never grew up. that's my problem.
Me too, but it is only a problem when I have to deal with the consequences of not doing the things I was supposed to do (pay bills, auto repair, etc.). Otherwise, who would ever want to be "grown up"? Sounds like one would HAVE to eat liver and onions, have supper at 4:00 (I'm headed to Luby's and have to beat the rest of the folks from the Senior Center) and PLAN (whatever that is).
Quote from: imaz on April 07, 2009, 07:25:50 AM
OMG! I'd have an amazing sex life! ;D
Hee hee...they said "sex"...hee hee
Ya know, when I was a child, summer seemed to last forever. You get out of school and have a whole lifetime before you have to go back.
Now if I forget to set my alarm, I miss the whole dang season!
So, if you were a child again, but kept your memories/experiences, how long would the summer seem to last? If I could stretch my 2 week vacation into what seems like months, sign me up!
....L
I never liked being a child very much. I didn't want to be an adult, I just wanted to be with them. I found children purile and irritating, most of the time.
So yeah, I was by myself a fair bit. :P
Well, if I could do it over again with what I know now...I would. That way I wouldn't have become such a monumental screw up. If I'd known what I wanted and how to get it from the beginning, I would have been way better off.
I think it would be totally frustrating how powerless you will feel. As a kid you live at the whims of your parents. I think you would miss your adult rights.
Well, in my case, my parents pretty well let me do what I wanted when I was a kid (I lived in the country, so it wasn't like I could really go anywhere anyway). I had almost zero personality and other issues like that, so with the whole hindsight is 20/20 thing, I could have made some much better decisions.
Quote from: Nicky on April 08, 2009, 03:42:00 PM
I think it would be totally frustrating how powerless you will feel. As a kid you live at the whims of your parents. I think you would miss your adult rights.
Gods, yeah. At least if you're an adult, the strictures on your life are clear and pretty stable; it's not usually possible for people to move the goalposts around very much. And if you do find yourself in a bad situation you at least have the possibility for escape, some of the time anyway.
Quote from: imaz on April 07, 2009, 07:25:50 AM
OMG! I'd have an amazing sex life! ;D
Hehe. .. wait, what? What would make it amazing? ha
And as for people's complaints about being a kid again, it all seems to revolve around the social aspects rather than the body. Just because you'd be in a kid body doesn't mean you'd have to listen to your parents and redo school and everything, specially if you have your current knowledge. You guys think weird :-\
Quote from: Saraloop on April 10, 2009, 03:57:52 PM
And as for people's complaints about being a kid again, it all seems to revolve around the social aspects rather than the body. Just because you'd be in a kid body doesn't mean you'd have to listen to your parents and redo school and everything, specially if you have your current knowledge. You guys think weird :-\
...that would be strange...I automatically think of being taken care of by someone else when I think of being a kid...that's what I want.
Quote from: Jaimey on April 10, 2009, 04:00:18 PM
...that would be strange...I automatically think of being taken care of by someone else when I think of being a kid...that's what I want.
Maybe you could. But i mean you could easily escape the household if you didn't like being taken care of.. or something.
hmm, well not having to work is cool, so I guess I'd like being taken care of.. but I didn't really think of that aspect.
the thing is, if you do become a kid again, then wouldn't the school laws apply to you again?
I mean, you Legally can not get a job if you're under 16 up here, so if you're 12 again, then what the heck are you going to do if your parents don't take care of you?
Quote from: Miniar on April 10, 2009, 05:29:00 PM
the thing is, if you do become a kid again, then wouldn't the school laws apply to you again?
I mean, you Legally can not get a job if you're under 16 up here, so if you're 12 again, then what the heck are you going to do if your parents don't take care of you?
Fake ID ::)
Can't get a proper paying job with a Fake ID.
Can't get a proper paying job with a Fake ID
Crime, and it comes with several false IDs.
Hence the "proper paying" part of the sentence.
There are good solid reasons to be hung up on the Social aspects of being returned to a childhood state.
In America crime pays very well. Drug dealers, gambling, prostitution, loan sharking, GTA, not to mention our financial system, lots of politicians and of course, religion. Crime pays very well.
emphasis on proper..
Oh I don't know, the people who looted the Savings and Loans back in the 80s were beyond proper, matter of fact, one of the ringleaders, Charles Keating was a big anti-porno guy, another, Neil Bush, had a dad who was VP at the time and went on to be President, as did his brother. These people have law degrees, finance degrees, MBA from the best school, come from some of the 'best families.'
I think we just have a very different perspective about crime.
It's all good.
Peter Pan and his friends seem to be doing fine in their ever-lasting childhood.
QuoteDrug dealers, gambling, prostitution, loan sharking, GTA, not to mention our financial system, lots of politicians and of course, religion. Crime pays very well.
"Oh yes!!!" With short lived career and a retirement plan to a near by swamp complete with a boat anchor tied around your leg. :) Buy a swamp, wait 1,000,000 years and you can have your own bubbling crude in your own backyard swamp.
PS. buy a lot of mosquito repellent. ;D
"Tiefs, tiefs, everywhere tiefs I tell ya!!!"
Cindy
Quote from: Miniar on April 10, 2009, 05:29:00 PM
the thing is, if you do become a kid again, then wouldn't the school laws apply to you again?
I mean, you Legally can not get a job if you're under 16 up here, so if you're 12 again, then what the heck are you going to do if your parents don't take care of you?
Become a Borrible?
Quote from: Saraloop on April 10, 2009, 03:57:52 PM
And as for people's complaints about being a kid again, it all seems to revolve around the social aspects rather than the body. Just because you'd be in a kid body doesn't mean you'd have to listen to your parents and redo school and everything, specially if you have your current knowledge. You guys think weird :-\
If it isn't about the social aspects, then what, exactly,
is the appeal of being a kid again? I have to say, that as a professional arborist, it would definitely make my job easier if I could still climb trees like I did when I was a kid, but aside from that I can't think of any great benefits to it.
To stay in a body that doesn't fall too deep into either gender. To get less expectations from society (Hey I like to climb trees too). To be small and good at infiltration :P and agility, flexibility. To have less trouble acting out one's innocence and/or playfulness.
.. I dunno, just that is enough reason for me, it hits my longing pretty good.
I wish I was able to return to my childhood.
If I became 12 again, I'd have 13 years of experience, and begin 12 is not that bad, I could start hormones because I'd know that that's what I really want. And I could learn to deal with people better, and some 13 years later, I'd be a femenine androgyne who is good with people, computers and drawing.
Yeah, I'd become the president of my country.
Too bad that returning to childhood doesn't happen often.
re: jobs for teenagers
There are many ways to get money, if you have the pseudo-immunity of age, well, you can do a lot more things. Protip: Formal employment is not the only kind of employment.
I would love to return to being about 6, because everything was much less complicated (both socially and physically) and I'd love to be able to leave everything up to the power of the grown-ups and just be utterly carefree... ^-^
I hate being the age I am now. All teenagers talk about is alcohol (I don't drink) and relationships (I'm pretty much asexual, too)... So much for living it up! :(
It would also be nice to be made of rubber again. I fell out of an attic once...5 foot drop and then down the stairs and I was fine. If I did that today, I wouldn't be able to walk for a week. :laugh:
One nice thing about getting older is that I know more stuff, that's nice. Things that were completely mysterious before, I now know about. When people talk about an event or a song or a story, I generally know what they are talking about. I like that.
But sometimes I just want to be five, skipping around and finding things exciting. I'd like that too, it would be great fun.
When my own children were young, strangers would admire them and say: "Don't you wish they could stay this age forever?" I would shudder and mutter "NO". One of the greatest joys of parenthood is to watch them grow, develop personalities, ambitions, and opinions. What a miracle it is to watch their growing independence and competence. Never would I have guessed how each would develop.
I, too, continue to grow and develop. The line of Robert Browning's Rabbi Ben Ezra (which I first read in a science fiction story when a teen) frequently run through my head: "Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made." Life is an adventure, requiring an adventurer's trust and daring, and the child's enthusiasm, thirst for learning, and sense of wonder. It requires the willingness of both child and adventurer to disregard the safe option.
Androgynes can use whatever body we're given to express our inner person. We can thumb our nose at society, and be masculine, feminine, both, neither, child or adult as the occasion requires and allows. We can express child-like joy and happiness regardless of external circumstance.
Thankful to be free; next year in a promised land,
S
I must be the odd androgyne out in the group. I was always a "responsible" person, and had a very heavy responsibility load in my teenage years due to my family situation. Now that i'm somewhere between 40 and 50 :) the responsibility load just seems to keep increasing. I'm kind of tired of it to be honest :-\
I'd love to go back and relive my youth without having to carry so much responsibility. I'd get to be carefree. That would be cool.
Now, as to the original topic I still feel the same as I did at, say, 20, but I now have a more mature outlook on things. That's the difference between 20 and 50ish for you youngsters - your outlook and the way you value things, and what is important.
Recently there was a person who was late for work again. Me and one of my old pals were bitching about it and some other guy said, "Hey, don't you remember when you were young?" And we both replied, "Yes, and we were not late then either." The responsible people I know were responsible 30 years ago too. It's a learned behavior.
I was raised to be responsible, my sister and I shared and my mom all worked as a team doing the chores both in the house and outside the house. I was also kind of the neighborhood babysitter, but I still had lots of time for, as we use to call it back then, goofing off.
"Heck!" I still like goofing off when ever I can.
Cindy
Quote from: tekla on April 16, 2009, 11:02:15 PMThe responsible people I know were responsible 30 years ago too. It's a learned behavior.
Does the opposite also holds true ?
Irresponsible people are likely to be irresponsible within 30 years ??
Because, I am horribly irresponsible, and it sucks and I can't become "responsible" yet :s
Do you think I have any hope ?
Well if I'm right, that its a learned behavior, then you can learn it, keeping in mind that the earlier you start, the easier it is and you can get to a point where it is too late to really do it. But it can be trained into you if you are willing to be trained. Few are.
I do know, from some 40 years of conversations with people I've worked with in a wide range of jobs, that the people I know who have real strong and hard work ethics (which begin with being on time) learned it from their fathers and mothers.
Quote from: tekla on April 17, 2009, 01:06:19 AM
learned it from their fathers and mothers.
That is really depressing, my parents didn't taught me anything like that.
Oh well. I guess I'll just have to work harder, then.
President Franklin Roosevelt gave a speech highlighted by the statement: "To some generations, much is given; of other generations, much is expected. Our generation has a rendezvous with destiny." Riven, clearly much has been expected of you, and you responded. For that congratulations are due. Short of returning to someone else's childhood, maybe you can find a way to take some time away from your current responsibilities. You do deserve it.
For ZZ, responsibility can be learned. Don't expect to suddenly become responsible in all areas of life. Start small. Make concrete goals. One task in one area; when you have that sort of under control, move to another task. Be forgiving of yourself when you have lapses and celebrate your successes. To paraphrase a Jewish saying:Responsibility is not something you need completely master, neither are you free to neglect it.
Speaking from experience,
S
you know simone, i could sit on your knee and listen to you being wise for hours, if you had reinforced knees.
Quote from: Pica Pica on April 17, 2009, 05:39:17 PM
you know simone, i could sit on your knee and listen to you being wise for hours, if you had reinforced knees.
simone definitely has the gift of wisdom 8)
Quote from: Pica Pica on April 17, 2009, 05:39:17 PM
you know simone, i could sit on your knee and listen to you being wise for hours, if you had reinforced knees.
An honor coming from a distinguished disciple of Dr. Johnson. Jaimey wants to come for a meal. You bring the ginger beer and some of your writings, and we'll ask Z for a song or two.
This is the time of year Jews read the Pirke Avoth (Sayings of the Fathers). Some are appropriate to our discussion.
"Jose ben Joezer of Zeredah said: Let thy house be a meeting-house for the Sages and sit amid the dust of their feet and drink in their words with thirst." I try to follow that. Hence my invitation to you three.
"Ben Zoma said: Who is wise? He that learns from all men" To which we add, to make the inclusivity explicit, all women and all androgynes.
"Ben Azai said: "Despise no man and deem nothing impossible, for there is not a man that has not his hour and there is not a thing that has not its place."
Now to dinner (Sabbath chicken),
S
Serious omission: Jaimey, bring some of your writings, too.
Mea culpa,
S
Will do! Did I tell you I started writing poetry? Apparently, I'm a lot better at that than prose. :D I wish my teacher had mentioned that three years ago.
Quote from: Pica Pica on April 17, 2009, 05:39:17 PM
you know simone, i could sit on your knee and listen to you being wise for hours, if you had reinforced knees.
Me too. We'll sit in a semicircle and receive your wise teachings.
Room for the unicorn king, Simone? I want to join the story/wisdom circle too. :)
Aye. Wisdom tis the shiz :P
I like how you put adrogyny, Simone, and I feel the same, the only thing is that I'm still affected by society's judgements, and so am limiting myself from my true potential. Being able to act wheter masculine, feminine, or child-like, is freedom, it's not limiting yourself. Even though we all have our tendencies, I believe that everyone is androgyne to many degrees, and that most have come to forget the freedom they'd desire. When we were kids was the time where we could most act free, though of course we were limited in other ways. That's still no reason to forget about the type of freedom we had and/or desired.
As for being responsible, I suck at it :P I'm the least responsible person I know of in my age group; early twenties.
Quote from: Nero on April 17, 2009, 11:13:53 PM
Room for the unicorn king, Simone? I want to join the story/wisdom circle too. :)
Your Majesty, know that you are always welcome in my home and at my table. Bring your resilience, your inquisitive spirit, and a healthy appetite.
I hope you will not all be disappointed though. A local bookstore once asked me to give a talk on Jewish mysticism. After my talk, we agreed it was not what the audience was looking for. I gave no certainties, no rules, no discussion of the Sefirot, and no magic.
Studying Berkeley and Hume convinces me that the existence of matter, mind, or soul cannot be proven. The Pragmatists convince me I need to act. Camus and Sartre suggest to me that value lies in the action and intention--in Sisyphus willingly pushing the rock uphill everyday though he knows its futility. Through radical Reform Judaism, I have come to accept that I have a contract with all that creates and all that is created; that I must be open to learning the requirements of that contract; and must dedicate my actions to fulfilling those requirements. Mysticism comes into play because my mind is incapable of comprehending the totality of existence. In it, I see that I can only act from love, not from hope of reward, nor fear of punishment. Life can be seen as a process which, like breathing, consists of inhaling (study) and exhaling (prayer). Life can be lived by anyone, regardless of ancestry, gender, IQ, or education.
Or in shorter form, Hillel said: "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow: this is the whole Law; the rest is the explanation; go and learn" (Shab. 31a--as cited in Wikipedia).
As for acting consciously and responsibly, that is what I struggle with, failing more than succeeding, every day. I am no different than any human. In fact, I am more distractible than most.
Now, what do you all want to eat and drink? Please, keep it simple--no bizarre smoothies.
In love and admiration for your Majesty,
S
Why prayer? What kind of prayer?
I'd like to go back to a few different times in my childhood so I can see what happened and plant a few ideas in my parrents head so they would be more understanding now.
Hi... i spos this depends on your or my out look on life ... try this i am yes 61 .. & this is the best part of my life . why because i am who i am .. being happy being able to live in a way . that is just me ... yeap. i.v been through the mill . it did not stop for me . so i had to just accept what i had . & run with it ... or miss out on what i could have had .. so for me do i look back .. yes of cause. do i wish i could go back ........no .. i have what i need ...now ...i can live i mean REALLY live ... as who i should be ....thats whats so neat . dont wish . just as i say.... love life ..live life .....look foreward other wise youll miss what you have ...& miiss what you could have .dont waist your time looking back ...you know the saying look back ..youll mis whats coming yes i know some is not so good ... youll get around that . or go through it ... i did & have ...
...noeleena...
Quote from: Saraloop on April 20, 2009, 05:58:17 PM
Why prayer? What kind of prayer?
Prayer is a form of communication. It is communication between a person and that which is central to that person's life. One might pray to express awe, wonder, fear, thankfulness, joy, or need. One might pray in order to slow down and concentrate on the deeper meaning in life. One might pray to connect with a group or to express one's love for others. One might pray when one is about to fulfill an obligation. One might pray to rededicate oneself to one's principles. This is not intended to be a systematic or all-inclusive list.
Any action done with the intention to pray is a prayer. Words spoken aloud in formal or spontaneous prayer are what is most commonly meant (fleeting thoughts are not prayer). Work, if done as a conscious expression of love, joy, need, etc., can be prayer. Political action, done in the recognition of the nobility of human life, is prayer. Cooking and eating, consciously done in order "to do what needs to be done" (to borrow a phrase from Prairie Home Companion), is prayer. Life lived with the conscious intention of serving one's highest principles is prayer. I believe this is meant by the New Testament directive, echoed by mystics within many disciplines, to "pray unceasingly".
Off to prepare food again,
S
Quote from: Simone Louise on April 21, 2009, 05:29:23 PM
Prayer is a form of communication. It is communication between a person and that which is central to that person's life. One might pray to express awe, wonder, fear, thankfulness, joy, or need. One might pray in order to slow down and concentrate on the deeper meaning in life. One might pray to connect with a group or to express one's love for others. One might pray when one is about to fulfill an obligation. One might pray to rededicate oneself to one's principles. This is not intended to be a systematic or all-inclusive list.
Any action done with the intention to pray is a prayer. Words spoken aloud in formal or spontaneous prayer are what is most commonly meant (fleeting thoughts are not prayer). Work, if done as a conscious expression of love, joy, need, etc., can be prayer. Political action, done in the recognition of the nobility of human life, is prayer. Cooking and eating, consciously done in order "to do what needs to be done" (to borrow a phrase from Prairie Home Companion), is prayer. Life lived with the conscious intention of serving one's highest principles is prayer. I believe this is meant by the New Testament directive, echoed by mystics within many disciplines, to "pray unceasingly".
Off to prepare food again,
S
I love everything you say. :-*
My wife sent out the following email today: "I am so proud of [Simone]. He walked all 20 miles yesterday in the annual Boston Walk for Hunger, with his friend Ron Eskin. Not bad for the "old guy" Hey he's not that old--this prooves it. He is a little sore today but managed to work 4 hours at Club UPS. Good tune ups for hiking in Arizona and Wyoming. I know everyone is tight--but the need has never been greater. Consider a donation in [Simone's] name. Every little bit helps!"
In my twenties, I felt like I could walk indefinitely. Yesterday, it was harder, and I did not want to jog or skip at the end--I even wanted someone else to do the cooking (the two walkers and their wives ate at Warren Tavern, which has been in operation since 1782 and commemorates a martyr of the Battle of Bunker Hill). That's one way age fits in.
Forty four thousand walkers raised 3.8 million US dollars. The goal is 4.1 million by the end of May. To donate, visit www.projectbread.org/walk (http://www.projectbread.org/walk) or the group of your choice that fights to alleviate and prevent hunger.
Still smiling,
S
Quote from: Simone Louise on April 21, 2009, 05:29:23 PM
Prayer is a form of communication. It is communication between a person and that which is central to that person's life. One might pray to express awe, wonder, fear, thankfulness, joy, or need. One might pray in order to slow down and concentrate on the deeper meaning in life. One might pray to connect with a group or to express one's love for others. One might pray when one is about to fulfill an obligation. One might pray to rededicate oneself to one's principles. This is not intended to be a systematic or all-inclusive list.
Any action done with the intention to pray is a prayer. Words spoken aloud in formal or spontaneous prayer are what is most commonly meant (fleeting thoughts are not prayer). Work, if done as a conscious expression of love, joy, need, etc., can be prayer. Political action, done in the recognition of the nobility of human life, is prayer. Cooking and eating, consciously done in order "to do what needs to be done" (to borrow a phrase from Prairie Home Companion), is prayer. Life lived with the conscious intention of serving one's highest principles is prayer. I believe this is meant by the New Testament directive, echoed by mystics within many disciplines, to "pray unceasingly".
Off to prepare food again,
S
Well said. We have the concept of Taqwa or God consciousness which kind of is close to what you mention.
Quote from: Saraloop on March 25, 2009, 06:54:51 PM
konnichiwa! :)
Haven't posted in quite a while.
I was wondering how you all think about feeling an age that conflicts with the body to the point of something similar like being transgender, but instead of feeling like 1 sex or another, feeling a certain age... I know lots of people want to stay young, but in my case it seems pretty extreme. Ever since going past the age of 12, it feels like I've lost such a big part of me that I can't even consider myself to be anything human. The biggest thing has been not being able to express what I truly feel. The response from people around is just too big for me to be ok with, as it is. :(
What do you guys think?
I wonder if there's people out there that feel like they should be really old :S
I know exactly how you feel, if I could've stayed 15 forever I would in a heartbeat.