Hi, nice to meet you! I'm Megan.

[mjules]

Well, okay, like the subject line says...

My name is Megan, I'm 25 years old (next month), and after a good eight years of struggling, I finally managed to make peace with both my conservative Christian upbringing and my bisexuality. I'll be glad when people stop having to struggle to reconcile the two. :)

I've also been exploring a lot of other things that were traditionally condemned by the church due to what I feel was a misinterpretation of Scripture. The questioning process is stressful, but fun. OK, maybe not fun. Rewarding? *laugh*

I'm a barista at Starbucks currently; I took the job because I needed the flexible hours to go back to college and complete my degree. I'm studying to be an English teacher at high school level, with goals to go on to college level.

I'm open for discussing anything and everything - it's difficult to find a subject that makes me too uncomfortable to talk about - and I'm always looking for new points of view.

Um, I'm not really good at figuring out what people would like to know about me, so if anyone wants to ask, I'll be glad to answer! I'm looking forward to being here; please take good care of me. :love:

[u-dog]

Well, okay, like the subject line says...


I'm open for discussing anything and everything - it's difficult to find a subject that makes me too uncomfortable to talk about - and I'm always looking for new points of view.




Ohhhhh baby! You don't know us !!! we'll embarrass you before you know what happened! We are some of the most embarrassing people you've ever met!

Just kidding! The only person who is REALLY embarrassing is Pablo (his parents still tell him who he can date... and he's like 50 something - sad)

We are glad to have you with us and look forward to getting to know you Mjules! Sounds like you have been on a long but productive journey of growth and discovery. Good for you!

[BrentRichards]

Welcome mjules ... you'll find many of us here who struggled a long time to reconcile our faith and sexuality ... some of us were a good bit older when we "got there" ... I was 36 (it was less than 2 years ago), and some [ahem] were MUCH OLDER!

U-Dog ... I seem to remember something about that Pablo story here on the forums. Now where was that...

[Zerbie]

Hi Megan,

Welcome! Congrats on getting back to school and having such great goals! I've spent more than half my life in school, it's kinda great - I love being in class and learning new things.

So where are you getting this English lit degree? Do you have any kind of sub-specialty, specific authors/works that you delve deeply into?

Well, welcome again and jump into the conversations.

:cool:

[mjules]

Okay, let's see if I can answer everyone at once. (Multi-tasking is the key to... well, everything. Especially when you're bi. :D)

1. U-dog: HEE! Okay, childhood memories have just come rushing back at the sight of your avatar. <3 And for the record, I look forward to seeing if you CAN embarrass me. ;) Nobody's been able to since high school. Thanks for the welcome! I'm so happy to have found this place. (Really, I think my friends are getting tired of me talking about it.)

2. BrentRichards: May I call you Brent? *smiles winningly* And yes, with the way things have been viewed/taught until now (and are still being viewed/taught, sadly, though it does seem to be shifting a little), I think there were very few people fortunate enough to escape the guilt-piling and false accusations. Still, I'm glad that so many of us are finding our way out, even if it does take a while. Better late than never, eh?

3. Zerbie: Hi! Thank you. I'm going to school at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. Or I will be, starting in August. My minor is actually going to be anthropology (I'm fascinated by the evolutions of culture), if I can swing it.

As for favorite authors... I read a LOT, but it's hard to pigeonhole my tastes. In fiction, though, I love C.S. Lewis ('Til We Have Faces remains one of my favorite books of all time...and not just for the love between Orual and her half-sister, though that certainly plays a part.) and Madeleine L'Engle, and lately I've gotten very into the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin.

When it comes to non-fiction, I spend a lot of time in the social studies section (it's how I found Mel's Stranger at the Gate and started this whole discovery process, actually) and my favorite topic of all is the Civil Rights movement of the 60's. I love the whole culture surrounding the 60's... the hippie movement, the music (I have the Woodstock DVD sitting on top of my DVD player, since it gets played more than most of my others), and everything, really. I've always thought there were a lot of lessons that got started in that era that we haven't finished learning yet.

I also spend some time in the quantum physics/metaphysics section, since that intrigues me a lot, too. My guilty book pleasure is manga (Japanese comic books).

...Wow, sorry about that. You asked about books, and I got long-winded. Heh. :o

[BrentRichards]

2. BrentRichards: May I call you Brent? *smiles winningly*


Most people do, seeing as how it's my name. Of course, people also call me other things beginning with B, but that's another story... *stares blankly*

[mjules]

Most people do, seeing as how it's my name. Of course, people also call me other things beginning with B, but that's another story... *stares blankly*

:p

:love:

[lydiam]

Welcome Megan! I got excited when you said Rock Hill and had to respond. I spent my summers during college in Lancaster, SC, so I know Rock Hill!:D I just recently came to terms with my conservative background and my bisexuality, too. Cheers! It's nice to meet you!:)

[paulee]

hi
just wanted to say hi and I hope you enjoy soulforce.
paul






Well, okay, like the subject line says...

My name is Megan, I'm 25 years old (next month), and after a good eight years of struggling, I finally managed to make peace with both my conservative Christian upbringing and my bisexuality. I'll be glad when people stop having to struggle to reconcile the two. :)

I've also been exploring a lot of other things that were traditionally condemned by the church due to what I feel was a misinterpretation of Scripture. The questioning process is stressful, but fun. OK, maybe not fun. Rewarding? *laugh*

I'm a barista at Starbucks currently; I took the job because I needed the flexible hours to go back to college and complete my degree. I'm studying to be an English teacher at high school level, with goals to go on to college level.

I'm open for discussing anything and everything - it's difficult to find a subject that makes me too uncomfortable to talk about - and I'm always looking for new points of view.

Um, I'm not really good at figuring out what people would like to know about me, so if anyone wants to ask, I'll be glad to answer! I'm looking forward to being here; please take good care of me. :love:

[BruceChris]

Megan, Hi

Yeah, the 60's was a good period in history, at least my history, since I was there. It was a time when a middle class white kid could get some respect, just for believing in something.

If you really want someone to embarrass you, you should get into an exchange with Uncle Andy, that's one of his specialties. Of course, U-Dogg and I try to embarrass him, maybe it's becauce we're in the same co-hort. (Peer Group? Demographic?)

Speaking of demographics, you and Zerbie seem pretty close. (Well, sorta)

And I enjoy learning what I can about the universe. The whole Quantum Physics/Big-Bang/Black hole thing. I read lotsa Stephen Hawking, Isaac Azamov, Carl Sagan, Kip Thorne, that sorta thing.

Welcome to our whacky group. :eek: :confused: :disagree: :agree: :wave: :hissy: Post Away!


Peace and Love, Bruce Chris

[Pablo Rafael]

Hi Megan,

Glad to have you with us. I like your refreshing style already. Please let us know more about you. I wholeheartedly agree with you about how great it will be when being LGBT and Christian won't be an issue with anyone.

Just a note about Dave (u-dog) and Brent. The less you listen to what these two have to say (especially what they say about me) the better you will sleep at night. They have sort of a twisted sense of humor.

Just kidding! The only person who is REALLY embarrassing is Pablo (his parents still tell him who he can date... and he's like 50 something - sad)

This is totally unfair and NOT true! I take offense!
I'm only 46!

U-Dog ... I seem to remember something about that Pablo story here on the forums. Now where was that...
Just for your own peace of mind, don't try to look up that thread. You'll regret it if you do.

:D

Tu Amigo, Pablo

[BruceChris]

If you click on anyone's name, you can look up all of their past posts.

P&L, BC

[mjules]

Oh, wow, everyone's so friendly! *basks*

OK, onto the next batch of answers, then?

Lydia: HI! Yes, yes, I'm quite familiar with Lancaster. That's neat! So Cal is a long way from So Car ;) - how'd you end up where you are?

Paulee: Thank you! I'm enjoying myself already.

Bruce: Hello! Part of me is still jealous that I didn't see the Sixties for myself. Oh well. For everything there is a season, and I guess the 60's weren't mine. And thanks for the hint! :-D

Pablo: Why, thank you. I'm refreshing, eh? *considers printing this out to show various coworkers* *grin* And of course, now that you've told me not to, I have to go find that thread at some point. (I'm a hopeless procrastinator, so, it may not be for a while...)

[Zerbie]

Okay, let's see if I can answer everyone at once. (Multi-tasking is the key to... well, everything. Especially when you're bi. :D)

Hey, waita minute, what's that sposta mean? :p:D I prefer to focus on one thing at a time myself (am notorious for it, in fact, when I get into a project, that's IT in my life for the duration). Don't start stereotyping us all now! :smashy:

. Zerbie: Hi! Thank you. I'm going to school at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, SC. Or I will be, starting in August. My minor is actually going to be anthropology (I'm fascinated by the evolutions of culture), if I can swing it.

Oh wow. That's something that has always interested me, yet I never did pursue it. Mmmm, thanks for the reminder - maybe something to delve into a bit in the future.

As for favorite authors... I read a LOT, but it's hard to pigeonhole my tastes. In fiction, though, I love C.S. Lewis ('Til We Have Faces remains one of my favorite books of all time...and not just for the love between Orual and her half-sister, though that certainly plays a part.) and Madeleine L'Engle, and lately I've gotten very into the A Song of Ice and Fire series by George R. R. Martin.

The only CS Lewis I've read is Mere Christianity, b/c my christian friends keep recommending it as a powerful book (I think they expected me to find it pursuasive?) but it never made much impression on me. I haven't read his fiction. I saw the movie last year, though, when Lion, Witch, etc, came up in cinemas.

I read a couple/few books of L'Engel when I was quite young - loved them! Re-read one of them recently: had to go into the children's section of the bookstore to buy it for myself, too. :p:D Loved it as much at 30 as I did at 11.

Never heard of this Martin, guy.


When it comes to non-fiction, I spend a lot of time in the social studies section (it's how I found Mel's Stranger at the Gate and started this whole discovery process, actually) and my favorite topic of all is the Civil Rights movement of the 60's.

That was my passion growing up!!!! As a child I spent hours every day reading about Martin Luther Kind Jr. Well and also Gandhi. They were my heros! I wanted to be a civil rights activist when I grew up.

I love the whole culture surrounding the 60's... the hippie movement, the music (I have the Woodstock DVD sitting on top of my DVD player, since it gets played more than most of my others), and everything, really. I've always thought there were a lot of lessons that got started in that era that we haven't finished learning yet.

It's a good question if we ever will, as a society. There has been so much reactionism since then. I hear it was a very turbulent time. When I remarked to my husband that I wish I could have been alive in the 60s he responded that the turmoil would have been too much for me and might have killed me. We'll never know. I only know a little bit about this era, but some parts of it speak to me a great deal. I love reading about the history behind events like the Stonewall Riots, and all the time wonder how I would have behaved. Probably would have stayed at home afraid of the violence.

I also spend some time in the quantum physics/metaphysics section, since that intrigues me a lot, too.
Another love of mine! This one I tried to delve into for a while, some years ago, and read just enough to get confused but inspired simultaneously. There is some book with "tao" in the name that has to do with physics that I just loved and read three times. Every time I mention it people seem to think I'm describing "The Tao of Pooh"; I am not, I never read that nor do I care to. No idea about manga. Never heard the word before.

...Wow, sorry about that. You asked about books, and I got long-winded. Heh. :o

:lol::lol::lol: "long-winded?" Hahaha! Have you read any of my posts yet?! :p If I had the patience, I could cull some of the 2000+ posts I've made here and compile my autobiography from them. Don't apologize for being long-winded. You're not.

[lydiam]

Lydia: HI! Yes, yes, I'm quite familiar with Lancaster. That's neat! So Cal is a long way from So Car ;) - how'd you end up where you are?
School brought me out here... I applied to 2 schools for my master's, Florida State (where I wanted to go) University of SoCal (as a joke)... never make a joke like that, the joke always ends up being on you! I love it here. Wouldn't change it.

Drink some sweet tea for me and have some SC barbeque. Mustard base is the only way. I miss it so!!!

[Gennee]

Welcome to Soulforce, Mjules. I'm happy that you are getting your education to be a teacher. I will be getting my degree in childhood education in December and hope to teach myself.

Gennee

:)

[mjules]

OK, again with the mass responding. *cracks knuckles*

Zerbie: Okay, okay. Multi-tasking is the key to everything when you're bi and poly. How's that? :-D As far as Mere Christianity goes, I don't think I've ever read that one. Forensic religion never did much for me. I tend to find it rather dry. Even Screwtape Letters pushes me a little far. But take my advice, do yourself a favor, and find 'Til We Have Faces. It's a love story to end all love stories, imo. My heart just breaks. ("I wanted to be a wife so that I could have been her real mother. I wanted to be a boy so that she could be in love with me. I wanted her to be my full sister instead of my half sister. I wanted her to be a slave so that I could set her free and make her rich.")

And I wanted to grow up to be a civil rights activist as well. It may be part of the reason I'm so into activism with equality regardless of sexuality. (That, and I have a vested interest in it. *laugh*) I've never heard of the Tao book, I don't think, but if I run across one that I think might be it, I'll post and ask you about it! :)

Lydia: You're out of luck with me! I don't really like the mustard-base BBQ (though I DO like cole slaw on my BBQ sandwiches now, and that didn't happen before I moved here) and I drink unsweetened tea or water, usually. Trying to watch that girlish figure of mine! ;) I've always thought I wanted to live in California, so enjoy it for me. *grin* I DO get to visit northern California next month, and I'm very excited.

Gennee: Thanks for the welcome! And congratulations on your impending graduation. *throws confetti*

[lydiam]

unsweet tea! for shame. oh well. i'll enjoy california for you anyway.