I'm trying to work out why the retreat pings me as so privileged, when I knew a woman who quit her job after saving money and traveled around the world by herself for a year, on a shoestring. That's not something most people can afford to do, either, and she knew she was really fortunate to get to do it.

I guess it's the whole changing the world with their silence that seems so ... pretentious, to be honest.

I guess if you're going to commit to something that big, you're going to have to come up with a Big Reason to do it or you'll have to admit that it's an awful idea.

It's going to be LEGENDARY

Epic of epic epicness!

My god would be a cranky, genderless form in boots and overalls, saying things like "You have opposable thumbs and a brain; fix some shit and leave me alone for a while."

hee. I tend to think of God saying things like "fix some shit with me and then let's sing and dance, cause, well YAY FUN!"

I can TOTALLY see wanting to take a break from life and shut things out and just be. Shocking, I know. But 3 years of silence? yeah, no way. I tend more to an isolated cabin somewhere where I could farm a little and still have a kick-ass internet connection. what?

I guess it's the whole changing the world with their silence that seems so ... pretentious, to be honest.

This, for me. It's fine to say "I need three years of Me time to decompress" but claiming it's for the betterment of the outside world rather than for your personal benefit is frankly BS.

Hey, happy birthday, lady! I wish you cake.

Happy Birthday Jess!

I tend more to an isolated cabin somewhere where I could farm a little and still have a kick-ass internet connection. what?

Right? Idyllic, I tell you what.

I guess it's the whole changing the world with their silence that seems so ... pretentious, to be honest.

This, although, I've been giving it some thought, and I do of course believe it's possible to change things through prayer, so maybe it's a hypocritical criticism from me?

But also,

I knew a woman who quit her job after saving money and traveled around the world by herself for a year,

"saving money" is the critical bit here. The asking for funding to sit around is part of what's twigging me here. But there again, I live entirely on other people's money, who give it to me so I can futz around on guitars and not ever work a regular schedule. Okay, that's probably not why they give me the money, but they're at least okay with the fact that that's what I do with it. And frankly, I live pretty well on other people's charity for my idea of doing good.

I dunno. I guess the people donating to them know what they're giving for. And I guess the caregivers know. So if they want to spend their money and time that way, I guess more power to them?

So all that leaves me objecting to is the cultural appropriation. Which I object to everywhere. So I guess I have the same problem with this group of meditators pledged to silence as I do with Outkast.

Happy birthday, Jess!

I just got the link to the pictures from the Halloween party I went to, and they are excellent. Here I am: [link]

This, for me. It's fine to say "I need three years of Me time to decompress" but claiming it's for the betterment of the outside world rather than for your personal benefit is frankly BS.

And yet, if every person were a better person wouldn't it equal a better world?

Jesse, I LOOOOOOVE that picture!