Friday December 8th, 2006
What characteristics -physically, mentally, etc.- are you glad you got from each of your parents? Which are you glad you missed? Which do you wish you had gotten or hadn't gotten?

• Mary: "anyway to answer your question, i get told i look like both my parents, facially. I'm glad I missed my dad's nose, I have my mom's nose with a tiny bump which I don't mind. It's just part of who I am. Much better than the "Thomas" nose my brother and sister got stuck with.
  I unfortunately got my dad's larger bone structure... his feet which make it impossible for me to find "cute shoes". But other than that I'm pretty awesome and my face is good lookin.
  Not sure where I got my musical abilities from... michelle plays the guitar and sings, but neither of my parents really sing. Grandpa used to drum so i think that's where my (our) rythm comes from.
  I hate my stupid tear ducts. Mine are much worse than my mom's but i'm sure I inherited it from her anyway... I hate crying it's annoying but I can't help it most of the time.
  Anyway... not sure what else I have. Wish I had bigger boobs... can't think of anything else to say.
  later dude can't wait til christmas!"
• Anne: "longer reply later, but i'm pissed that i didn't get the nice light brown eyes that becca has. my grandfather has brown/blue eyes and my uncle got them...and then becca and cassie has a bit of it. i want that!"
• Sam: See Sam's Livejournal

Sunday November 12th, 2006
How did you deal with fears and monsters when you were a kid (or now)?

• Claud: "Haha to deal with fears I cried and turned all the lights on because monsters only come out in the dark, duh. Sometimes I still sleep with the light on because reading mysteries before I go to bed creeps me out. I have to admit I wasn't as creative as you. :) BUT it worked, and still works, so whatevs!"
• Mary: "haha oh man i totally know what you mean.
  -before going to bed i had to be sure that my closet door was closed all the way. if it was, then the monsters couldn't get out because there's no handle on the inside
  -i was scared of vampires most of my childhhood so i'd have to make sure that my entire neck was covered by blankets so they wouldn't bite me in my sleep.
  -i also had a defense against nightmares. ffor some reason i believed that if i fell asleep on my back i'd always have nightmares. so i made sure to fall asleep on my side.
  -in times where i had my bed pushed right uup against a wall, i'd always make sure my back was against it when i slept so i could be sure nothing would get me from behind.
  -i had no under the bed fear because i had a waterbed... the base went to the floor. i now have a real bed and i'm not too scared of something coming out from under there... however i must admit sometimes i'll be weary to let my arm or foot hang over the side."
• Carly: "i did the same thing about lying still and pretending to sleep. i always imagined witches under my bed with big cauldrons of scary stuff and if i moved theyd fly out from under the bed and swoop me under. so i stayed perfectly still till i fell asleep. and once the closet was left open when i was around 6 and i could swear i saw a witch lying on my top shelf...from that day on i refuse to go to bed unless my closet door is tightly shut. theres a witch theme here...but e.t. also scared the crap out of me and so did harry from harry and the hendersons. i also sang too sometimes when i was a kid to make myself less scared. or running to mom...that one always worked."
• Laurie: "i used to be really scared of my basement and i would HAVE to scream and slam the cold room door as i was finishing doing whatever i had to do down there and scream all the way up the stairs."

Friday the 13th of October, 2006
Would you rather be with someone who was hot but didn't think you were that attractive, or with someone ugly who thought your were totally hot?

• Mary: "super hot brad-pitt-sexy guys are... well, sexy of course. but i'd never ever date one. i think it'd have a lot to do with jealousy because if you've got a sexy piece of meat all of the girls will go wild and i'd have to do some serious ass-kicking to keep them off him.
  i don't think i'd want a really ugly guy though either even if he was amazing... maybe i'd do it if he was dynomite in the sack and a larger than average penis ;)
  i think i'll stick with johnny for now. he's no brad pitt, but he's not fugly mugly either. he's sexy, cute and fun to me, and usually other women don't share my opinion so it's perfect!
  hahaha"
• Sam: "Whenever I watch Sex and the City with Christina (you remember her, tall blonde) I always would tell her that I wanted to date Steve. He may not be the best looking guy, but he loves Miranda regards of the many things she does to him. The only thing I want is for someone to love me unconditionally and for someone to help me feel better about myself.
  To me, in a lot of ways, while he has his major flaws, I'm still convinced a guy like Steve or Harry is are far better to spend one's life with, than a guy like Big and Aiden. Plus I'm conviced Steve is the cutest man ever on that show. *squee*"
• Andrew: "Well I'm with a woman who is both super sexy and super loves me, so I pretty much have it all (lucky me!) but damnit it makes me jealous sometimes when I know that she gets hit on on a daily basis. I usually here about all the hits cause Shayla loves to tell me how guys melt at her feet. You're so humble dear. :)#58;) And I have to worry about both fronts! Most guys she randomly runs into just think she's hot, but plenty of guys who actually talk to her realize that she's also brilliant. So smart + hot = OMG why aren't you SINGLE?!?!?!?! Lucky her, most girls don't think I'm sexy so you only have to worry about those nerd lovers, of which I don't think there are that many.
  Honestly though, sometimes it worries me a bit because I start thinking "what if she meets somebody who falls all over her and she ends up falling for them?" What do I do if she meets somebody who meets her needs better than I do? God knows I'm not perfect, but I try. I have to wonder how far I'd be willing to go to keep her, and I don't know. I know I'd be willing to change, but how much? These are the thoughts that keep me up at night sometimes. I love you so much. :)"
• Son: "i could get bored of someone who was just good looking but you could never get bored of someone who ACTUALLY loves you!!"
• Andrew: "Wow I wrote "here" instead of "hear". GG Andrew. I also failed to answer the original question. I'd rather be with someone who loves me, even if they're not that good looking, obviously. :)"
• Claud: "I would choose love over looks, hands down."
• Tim: "can i say both?
  what i mean is that i would like her to be attractive enough that some other guys would be jealous that i have her, but not attractive enough that other guys would go out of their way to get with her.
  but also as i've said (although most likely to myself) "i'd like her to be more interested in me than i am in her." however, just thinking about that, that's what happened with my last relationship and some people know how that turned out.
  ok, scratch most of this. i don't know what i think."
• Anne: "i would choose love over looks anyday. physical attractions purely based on superficial things such as "beauty" lasts only for so long. long, deep love will last for a lifetime...and it is through that true love that you develop that physical attraction."
• ***At this point I explain that people are reading the question wrong***
• Mary: "i would choose love over looks anyday. physical attractions purely based on superficial things such as "beauty" lasts only for so long. long, deep love will last for a lifetime...and it is through that true love that you develop that physical attraction."
• Mattey: "It depends, is she ugly in the face or in the body? I wouldn't go out with a fat girl no matter how much she likes me. It's important for there to be mutual attraction, both mentally and physically.
  In my experience, girls don't like guys who are obsessed with them or who are obsequiously nice; girls tend to favor guys who treat them like crap."
• Claud: "Personality makes a big difference in how I see someone's looks.
  I'd rather have someone who loved me and wasn't terrific looking in the eyes of others, because if they had a great enough personality I'd love that much more.
  Although fitness is a whole other issue."

Wednesday March 22, 2006
Anyway, leave me a comment to tell me how weird you think I am, or (preferably) to tell me about any games you've invented or play when you're bored. :)

• Son: "i love this game but no one EVER wants to play with me! its called 'seven' and a group of ppl count from one to whatever but every time there's a number with 7 in it (like 47) or a multiple of 7 (like 21) you say beep. so one person says 1, the next person says 2 and so on and the person who is supposed to say 7 says beep...and man you do it really fast and it gets really nerve-racking and fun...well to me. obvi not to the majority of normal-folk, cause no one like to play with me :("
• Katie: "some times in church i like to look at sons and fathers. you know how people with short hair have the swirl? like their hair all grows in one direction from the middle of their head? well i like to see if sons and fathers (or anyone in their family with short hair) have swirls in the same direction. i also find a group of something and pick a winner and then play eene-meene-mynee-moe. each time i count one out and if i'm left with the one i guessed would be last i win! i usually play this with the numbers on the song board at church. finally, another thing i do just to entertain myself is look at other people and imagine what they're like. old people, their history, young people their future - crap like that. and a lot of the time i catch the eyes of kids when playing this game and then i get to make silly faces!"
• Kathy: "i loved your list of games, some of them are hilarious, i might try a few out =) here's one of mine: (It is yet to be named!) sometimes when i'm in a room with a bunch of people i don't know and i'm listening to headphones i imagine what it would be like if the music was everywhere, and how people would react if they suddenly all heard the music i was listening to."

Saturday March 4, 2006
What experiences early in your life do you feel may have affected your personality?

• Jen: "i must say that you have infulenced me a lot while we were growing up. you have taught me so much and allowed me to break out of my shell. while we were all in barnabas, we all knew you were the smart one adn the creative one, there has never been an agrument about that, and the fact that you were always out spoken and that there was so much that i was able to do looking towards you as my strentgh. in a way what you had, i alwyas wanted.ask i have posted in some of my posts, your parents were the "cool" parents.
  but in the end, one define'n moments, was that one day mr.mac got really upset with us for playing with the lights in the change-room once again, but this time for some reason it was both teh girls and the boys that got in trouble and he refused to teach any of us. i don't remember if u were there that day or not, but i remember asking myself what would i do? then i knew that i had to appologize for what we had done, but if it was me, i would have never had the courage to do it, but i thought to myself if you would be able to do it, and so i stood up, and i did it. when i was forgiven slowly everyone stood up and started to say they were sorry, but he refused to take theirs becuase he believed that it was insincere.. i don't know who else remembered that day, but i did...."
• Son: "i really dont know why i'm the way i am. i blame everything on who i was in my past life. for example, i hate cleaning because in my past life, i was an opressed housewife. :)"

Friday January 20th, 2006
I'm curious in my theory about people not really changing too much. I'd love for you guys to tell me if you can see any core parts of yourself that existed in your childhood.

• Son: "for me, when i tell ppl how old i am, i always get a little shocked when i truly realize my old age...cause i dont think i've changed alot over the years. like, there are still those core elements about me, like my shyness, that i dont think will ever change. and same with you, i knew what i wanted to do every since i was 5! and i think its important to keep those things with you. to me, its like the essence of yourself, in its purest state. i will never be an extrovert, nor do i want to be cause thats not me. and when i was a kid, ppl would always say "why are you so shy!" but now i think back and realize, there's nothing wrong with shyness, as long as it doesnt become a barrier in your life."
• Carly: "i agree, the essence of a person never changes. personally, i've always been a bit of a naive dreamer...not much of a realist...and still today... i often find myself saying or thinking things that are both those things. now i realize this more, but its just the way i am. i'll never stop believing the world is full of goodness or that there is a prince out there for everyone (princes come in many disgiuses) and like sonali said... im also so an introvert and people also ask me why im so shy... its just the way i am. i like being an introvert, always have, always will. and shay, like you said... you always come back to yourself"
• Claud: "So I read this a while ago but really didn't know how to respond... so I didn't. But I do have a point to make, and it's that even though it could be true that an essence of a person never changes, how do you determine which is your essence? What is essentially a part of me, or someone else? When you look at someone else and think, oh they'll never change... what part of them are you thinking of? In short, what constitutes essence?
  Personally, I don't know the answer to that, so I'd prefer to say that I have changed. My dreams and goals in life have changed, and so have my priorities and perspectives on life. Change is a part of growth right? How do you grow without changing? You remain the same person, but is that enough for you to call an essence? For me, the parts of myself that existed in childhood... I don't know, a lot of things are different for me personally because I've gotten to know myself in a way that is incredibly different. I see myself in a new perspective and in that I have changed...
  But perhaps some things still remain the same :)
  I'll leave that til next time :D"
• Some person who didn't leave their name: "yes, i feel like I am the same person - everyone is - even though they won't admit it or want to think otherwise."
• Anne: "people change, yes...change is inevitable and the person we once were is definitely not the person we evolve into.
  however, our essence never changes. the very being of ourselves; when stripped down, what we are in our most raw selves -- that never changes."

Friday November 25th, 2005
Where do you draw the line between your unconditional love and acceptance of someone as they are, and your desire for them to grow and improve themself to become a fuller person?

• Mastromatteom: "All people are always in a process of growth, although many people have behaviors that impede their growth and cause them to stagnate or even be "demoted." You should encourage people to grow without impediments. To do that, you cannot accept those negative behaviors. That doesn't mean you shouldn't love the people and accept them as people; there's positive in everything and everyone that should be embraced. But you have to reject the negative in others AND in yourself in order to continue growing efficiently. Nobody's perfect, except perhaps God, so unconditional love and 100% acceptance is a bad idea except towards God, but I think that even God grows... Being in that positive process of growth is as perfect as it gets, I think, so would that apply for a higher being as well as for people? To love someone is to love the positive and thus encourage it. If you don't encourage the positive and reject the negative, what kind of love are you really showing to that person? You don't just love somebody for no reason (unless you're a major slut)--you give love as a reward for that which is good in a person, and you give more love the more good that develops in that person."
• Son: "i know what you feel...you love some people so much that you want things for them that they may not even care to have. i think im kinda going through the same thing to so i totally know what how ur feeling...but i think the best thing to do is to interfere, but at a distance. voice ur opinions but encourage them to make their own. cause honestly, for all we know, our opinions may not be the right choice, even if WE think they are."
• Jen: "I think about that a lot as well. more along the future part. i wonder since i was born with a lot of restrictions, that if i were to let my kids a little loose, would it be too much? how would i know if i would be a good parent. would i try too "hard"?... oh gosh i hope not. even with friends sometimes i feel that sometimes i just don't shut up, or even the opposite, do i say anything at all. all in all, i for friends, i usually allow them to decide. if they need help then they'll come to me with their problems. if they ask for it, then i will tell them what i would do. if they don't ask, i simply sit and listen..."
• Hanna Kang: "i completely understand your questioning, and i often find myself asking the same questions. i think that unconditional love accepts the person wholey, but at the same time, love would not be love if it did not care to better the person, to help the person. there's that natural characteristic of love - always wanting to see that person at his/her potential..never pushing, never forcing, but inspiring, encouraging, lifting up in order for them to grow and change.
  i think that the thing that matters the most in this issue is personal intention. is your motive selfish? do you want this person to change whatever habits/behaviour etc. so your life will be easier? so they will fit your mould of what you want?
  these questions seem to be answered in my head with a pretty obvious resounding NO! ...but after i think about it and observe my heart honestly, i find that there is some selfish motive there.
  this whole selfish motive is opening up a whole other can of worms..i dont know if any human behavior could be separated from selfish behavior..
  but, disregarding that, i think that checking your own motive..and then helping those in your life that you care about to grow positively in a way that is non-judgemental or forceful..
  i think that this may be the way to do it. i dont want to sound vague in allt this, but there certainly is no formula for such individual, delicate matters..
  i think this may be the way to go about it..i THINK..i dont know, but i think so. heh"

Saturday October 22nd, 2005
Your child asks you why bad things happen to good people. What is your answer?

• Son: "i would tell my kid that things happen and we don't have answers to them. but being angry or hateful will just hurt us, we just have to trust (and that's something even the greatest person in the world has trouble with) that God will take care of them...and us.
  and thanks for ur entry in my lj...its just so hard being constantly bitch slapped by life. but then i guess i should take my own advice from above? assuming im a good person ;)"
• Carly: "i would never wish for a child to ask that question because it is a sad question. but i know i've asked that of my parents too.
  so i'd probably use their advice: the world is not always fair. and sometimes things happen to people who are nice and for no good reason. but you have to keep on being the good person you are and you will work through it."
• Anne: "bad things happen to good people, just as good things happen to bad people. the world isn't fair, but take comfort in knowing that regardless, god is with us.
  and in truth, all that matters in life, is the love that you surround yourself with. whether it be from friends, family or some random stranger, its the love that is in your heart that matters.
  ...now i think im just rambling...."
• Claud: "I like to believe a quote that I heard, I don't remember it exactly but it's something like "God gives you what he thinks you can handle". It's rough but it's rough because God wants you to come out of it a better person. Bad experiences happen so we can appreciate the good we DO have. If we don't know what bad is, we won't know what good is, and we won't be thankful for anything that we do have."

Wednesday May 4, 2005
Now please, for all of our amusement, everyone come up with their own fake name (funny, sexy, or otherwise) and post it in my comment box, and I'll add it to my list:

• Shayla: McKenzie Foxx
• Katie: Jamie Jones
• Andrew: Richard Witherspoon
• Mary: Madison Black
• Alexis: David Smith