Carly's Ramblings Blog - Style

Outspoken Beliefs, Breaking Stuff & Book Withdrawl

Today's blogs...

Welcome To My Reality - Week Seventy - Four

4. What's your reaction towards people who are outspoken about their beliefs (whether that's politics, religion, or anything else)? Does your reaction change based on whether you agree with them or not?

Hmmm. I remember being in a Group Dynamics class in my third or fourth year of University. There were a lot of outspoken people in the group. I was content to sit back and listen to them rant and debate their opinions. I am not one to voice my opinion unless I feel I have something to contribute. I did not like some of these others thinking that I was not participating simply because I was not speaking up... some people dominate and thrust their opinions out there. I did eventually speak up... I did not want to be penalized for no participation, but I was unwilling to go into a battle of wills with those students who seemed to be running their agenda.

It was an interesting class. Had I known more people in the class I may have felt more comfortable to speak up. I believe, we also had to keep a journal of the class... writing out our thoughts and feelings on what was happening within the class's dynamic. As you can imagine, I wrote a great deal. I had a lot going on in my head... I just did not feel comfortable expressing it... particularly when I worried that I would get 'jumped' on by the more dominant members - one guy and one girl.

The professor was simply a member of the group... he chose to take a more observant role and see what would happen within the group as a whole.

I would probably say I admire someone who spoke up about their beliefs... but I would also qualify this with a note to say my admiration would be far stronger for someone expressing beliefs that follow along the same lines as my own... "here, here"

For the most part, Politics don't interest me. Religion is interesting. I don't want anyone shoving their ideas down my throat, but I would be open to a discussion where ideas are considered and stirred into the mix. Most religions come down to love and faith. I don't have time for radical extremists... that is more hate centered.

5. Have you ever broken something that belonged to someone else? What was it and how did it break? Did you replace it?

I am good at breaking things. I have a long history of breaking stuff... most of it by accident, sometimes in anger, sometimes in baffled 'I Love Lucy' style where you cannot believe you even managed such a feat.

I remember breaking the glass part of my bedroom ceiling's light. I was vacuuming. A job I do not particularly like, and a ball was in my way. After shifting it out of my way and having it roll back I throw it back over my shoulder... unfortunately it took an upward arc and hit the light with a bang. My mother was on me so fast... and she was not happy. I was made to clean up the debris, finish the vacuuming and then take some of my own money to purchase a new glass fixture for my room. I was much more careful with my temper and throwing arm after that...

I managed to break the glass on a picture frame when a shelf in the closet decided to buckle after I over crammed it with stuff. My husband decided it was time to fix the shelving... it was builder grade; which means it would never have held up much anyway. I still have that glass in the frame wrapped up... one of these days I will take it in and get it replaced.

Blog City – Day 442

Prompt: "You know you have read a good book when you turn the last page and feel like you have lost a friend." Paul Sweeney Do you agree?

Most definitely! You have lost a friend, a group of friends and / or a place you did not want to leave. There is that feeling of discombobulation - a floating detachment that is dis -ease until you are able to find a sequel to the story you finish and bring your characters back into your realm or find another book to hold you in its dimensional space.

I always feel a little lost after I complete a book. Some books, the ones that really speak to me leave me vibrating with their essence... Barbara Kingsolver novel's do that to me - The Bean Trees. The book title make sense and the effect of that bit of information settled over me with a hummm of truth... and beauty. I am reading Flight Behaviour now... very slowly, but I am starting to get the essence of her tale as I near the end. I am savouring it though.