Do you love dendritic patterns? Of course you do – who doesn’t? Do you love thin film interference? You probably do, unless you’ve had to deal with a large oil slick or similar. Everybody loves a good rainbow. Let’s combine the two, shall we?
B and I saw that lovely little rainbow burst when we were getting gyros. It looks like the parking lot is trying to dress up in psychedelic patterns.
I wish I had something deep and insightful to say, but it’s been a Week, and I’m only able to mumble things like pretty and wow. I’m off to rejuvenate my cranium with lotsa food, mindless busywork, and probably Christianist textbooks. Can you believe I miss those things? I do. It’s pretty sad.
Talk to me, people. The world’s been full of ugly lately, and I believe we could use some beauty. Share some beautiful things. Pictures, stories, music, random acts of extraordinary humanity, anything you like. Let’s refresh ourselves, drink deep and renew our strength, so that we can keep fighting to make the world better.
“Pretty” will do for now.
But if you want something pretty to look at, see the signature Latvian ring ‘Namejs’ being made. Has a great legend behind it, too.
That’s some lovely fractal pollution you’ve got there! Sorry, not an altogether happy thought. It’s the time of year, I guess. Too doggone dark. I shall have to see if I’ve got a UFD photo or something I can send.
I don’t know how beautiful this is, but I mailed in my official request for my name to be removed from the records of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today. I haven’t considered myself to be a member of the church for about 12 years now, but I’d never gotten around to making it “official.” And I have you to thank for that, Dana.
Your holiday gift guide posts led me to a book recommendation you’d made, for Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of Mormon Mind Control, by Luna Lindsey. I downloaded it and started reading on the very day that I saw it on your blog. And it’s helped me to continue unpacking all of the baggage I seem to still be carrying with me because of leaving the church. There was more than I’d realized. More than I thought there would be. And it was so relieving to realize that my mixed up feelings were not unique to me, and for the most part they are not my fault.
And yet I was still nervous as I got in line at the post office today to send my letter Certified Mail (so that it wouldn’t get “lost”). I hid the “send to” address on the envelope with my palm until I got up to the counter, because I was afraid that someone would recognize it, know what it meant, and try to talk me out of it. I even stayed to watch the postal clerk physically place my letter into the outgoing mail.
When I left the church after moving out of my parents’ house, I wanted nothing more to do with it. When I met new people I pretended never to have even been a member. I put my scriptures at the bottom of the crappiest storage box I had and buried it in my closet. I don’t even know where they are now. On the surface, I forgot most of the details of the doctrine I had grown up memorizing, but never forgot how the church had made me feel. How alone, outcast, and defective I was because I seemed to be the only person I knew who felt the way I did. And I told myself that it wasn’t a big deal that I wasn’t taking the step of making it “official” – all that mattered was that I was out.
But everything the church has done, and continues to do, has just reinforced that I can’t in good conscience remain officially affiliated with an organization whose beliefs, actions and policies I disagree with so completely. They say that you can leave the church, but you can’t leave it alone. And they’re right, because it’s fucking damaging. So now I’m officially divorcing myself from it.
So now I’ll check my letter’s tracking number every day until it’s been confirmed delivered. I’ll be on the lookout for any last-ditch efforts the church’s representatives might make to get me to change my mind (woe betide them if they knock on my door). And I’ll wait for any potential fallout from my family if the church “accidentally” lets this slip to them.
But if all goes as planned, it will be a lovely Christmas present.
No I do not. When I was in the Navy I had to deal with several oil spills, often in heavy and cold weather.
Maybe this might be enjoyable to someone.
https://img.bi/#/PvzsvBc!WdgMHTfXt4hxcq4BTagt1X3su0AVhTaqI7caHDjb
Better if you click through to full size.