Generic Meds Are My Heroes!

For the past several days I have been developing some sort of sickness.  To this moment, I'm not 100% sure of what exactly it was, but it was no fun.  It started the day after Thanksgiving with normal allergy-like symptoms, I took some DayQuil and didn't really worry about it (even though it never really helped).  However, by Saturday night it had progressed into something that was no longer ONLY allergies (as I had fooled myself into thinking), and I was desperately in need of some meds, yet unwilling to leave the comfort of my warm bed to go get them.  Luckily, I have a truly remarkable Hubby who called when he was leaving work and said, "What do you want me to get you from the store?  What do you need medicine for? And are you hungry at all?  Soup?," etc.

It was marvelous to hear!  He came back with some food and these meds (that's right, we ONLY get the good stuff - generic all the way!)

AND

Almost 24 hours since the first dosage (PLUS Cough Syrup for my symptoms) and I feel about 75-80% normal!  I'm not one to enjoy going to the doctor - in fact I pretty much loathe it with every fiber of my being, and find it needlessly costly to go to someone and have them say "It's only a sinus infection, go rest" when I can just medicate myself like crazy and get better!  (Plus, then you have the war stories like: I took a dayquil, some cough medicine, a dosage of airbourne, some zinc drops and slept for 12 hours!)

All of this to say, "Hubby knows best!"  He's such a great man and takes really great care of me.  He even brought me ELF, the movie, from the living room where it resides in the entertainment center when I asked him to get it while laying in bed in the bedroom! :)  GOOD MAN!

A Break From Paper Writing

A new blog post!  Crazy, I know...but this one has to do a little with procrastinating about a paper I am working on.

I am in a course called, "Christian Heresies" and it is absolutely wonderful!  Not growing up having any knowledge of church history - due to being a Baptist and never really talking about any of this in church (just stating a reality), I am learning so much about where the "church" has come from and I have lots of opinions about this, not that this is the place to share them, but I'm trying to take a break, if you will, from my paper.

I would just like to say that I feel like somewhat of a skeptic about Constantine.  I'm talking about my paper, yes...you may not want to read any more (if anyone does read this), because I just have to free write, and then get back to my "formal" writing for the paper....here it goes:

Maybe I'm right on the money, but more than likely, I'm being crazy skeptical and judgemental about poor Constantine, the Great.  I've decided that he was kind of in the business of Christianity for the political power that he saw it bringing him.  I know some believe that he actually converted to Christianity, and maybe he did, I don't know...but I have a hard time believing that he saw a vision of a Chi Rho, put it on the shield or whatever of his soldiers, won the battle, THEN decided to convert to Christianity, and it was all genuine...(like I said, the probability of this being judgemental is great).  The poor Emperor got shysted out of being emperor in the first place, then eventually became emperor, and in that day, whoever won the battles in the name of whatever 'god' they were fighting for was the 'god' that was worshipped...so like I said, I think it was all a political maneuver on his part...especially all the council of nicea business...

Eusebius:  Here's my Creed, see, it works!
Constantine: Sounds great, let's do that!

COUNCIL: NO!  What are you thinking?  It's too broad, even Arius could agree! [gasps of horror]

Constantine: Oh...well, then....Ossius, how about you go talk to Arius and Alexander and get them to be friends again
Ossius: Okay, I guess I could do that, what are they fighting about, again?
Constantine: idk...just go moderate, see you soon!
Ossius: peace, bro!

Ossius: Hey, Arius, Alex, why can't we all just get along?  [campaigns for hugs]
Arius: Alex sucks, we could never get along!
Alex: Yeah, I will never agree with Arius.  I'm rubber, he's glue, whatever bounces off of me sticks to him! [sticks tongue out]
Ossius: Oh, well, I didn't really know what was going on anyway, so...coo!  Hasta la vista!

Constantine: Crap, Ossius couldn't help...I guess I better call a council...

COUNCIL: We hate Arius, let's just make something that says EVERYTHING opposite of what Arius thinks, then we can call that orthodoxy!
COUNCIL (In unison, minus several members): SWEET!

COUNCIL (above stated, several members): So....Constantine, we don't really agree with this creed, can we have more time to think on it?
Constantine: Freakin' idiots - NO! I need everyone to be happy and get along! Sign the dotted line for goodness's sake and get on with it, it's not the end of the world! I'll excommunicate you if you don't!
COUNCIL (above states, several members): [scared and hesitant] ...okay

Constantine: Sweet, unity!  Now everything will be grand, the Christian God will bless my empire and I'll die rich and prosperous!

{end scene}

If only I could see Constantine as genuine...but it's a little difficult.  I think it was nice of him to create the Edict of Milan with Licinius...but I just don't know about this whole..."I'm gonna make Christianity the religion of the Empire and everyone has to follow it how I want it to be run, or else they are heretics! Burn 'em all...the heretics that is"....I guess I don't see that...

Anyway, now that I was able to express the cartoonish scenario going on in my head, I must get back to said paper....

(Don't hate me because I'm opinionated - I absolutely could be wrong...that's why it's an opinion...)

Peace, bros!

Response to a Public Forum

Last night, I attended a Public Forum at the United Ministry Center on Campus entitled, "Why are We So Mean?"  There were four panelists, two of whom I knew, and two others, all who were either ministers or professors (or variations of both).  As I listened to all the conjecture, some I agreed with and some I did not, I had a little revelation of my own as to the possible cause of this "meanness" that is becoming so much more a part of the public square.

The world is becoming more global.  Within the past, even 10 years, we have been bombarded with international news/culture/fashion/political issues/etc.  There is so much more being thrown out there now than there used to be.  This is not entirely a bad thing, in itself, I personally think that it is important to know what is going on in the world.  That being said, it is inevitable that we are becoming a much more globally minded people.

I think this very simple fact is causing a lot of unrest and distress within people (on a very internal and personal level, possibly even subconsciously).

With everything new being brought to light and having to adapt in order to live in this type of world we are now living in, it is unsettling because "I no longer have to worry about just ME, in my community, but I have to worry about ME and my world, and what that looks like".  I think that people, in the past century, have found themselves and were comfortable in their society because they knew their place in that society.  This was something that was a given and a constant and they could rely on knowing who they were in relation to the 500 other people that they encountered on any given day.  Now, however, there are international affairs affecting the lives of people in our own neighborhoods, there are inter-religious squabbles that are more prominent because people don't know how to react to all of this "new" ideology and they become insecure (not necessarily even knowingly) with themselves and how the "me" relates to the world now.

"me" has become so much smaller in a sense and the need to define "me" is so important, because one does not want to become just another random person in the mix, "me" still needs to know where I stand on things, what I believe, and so because of this....we have become so much more staunch in our debates, in our conversations with friends, and we will not back down in public discourse because to abandon "me" would be the worst thing one could do in the current global situation. (Or so we come to think).

This is all an opinion, and my opinion, so please take it with a grain of salt.  (Not trying to start things, just sharing!) :)

I see the "mean" that is out there and the apparent need for it to always become an "us vs. them" type of ideology in almost ANY arena - not even being confined to the taboo subjects of religion and politics, but in more and more of what we talk about even with our friends and families.  Why does it have to be an "us vs. them?"  What makes "us" any better?  Why can we not approach another human being and have the same decency given to them that we expect them to give to us?  It seems very arrogant and ignorant to expect one to respect your opinions yet in return, slap them in the face with rhetoric and then be offended by what they say....

The public forum was very interesting and brought to light some very serious things that are happening and need to be resolved.  Just thought I would share!

:)