An Elaboration on my Atheism

I posted a link to my blog on Cafemom, to answer the question on why I am now an atheist. I noticed at the bottom of the original post that I said I would elaborate on my conversion at a later date, but failed to follow through on that. So I will do that now.

The funny thing about theism, is once you let go, it's like a veil has been lifted from over your eyes. It's not unlike the revelation that the Great and Powerful Oz was really just a man behind a curtain pulling levers.

God was ingrained in me from birth. I never once doubted his existence. What I lacked faith in, if anything, was organized religion. I suppose that was inevitable having two parents feeding me conflicting messages through my childhood.

How ironic that in my quest for the true religion, I came to reject all. Actually, I've come to known that that is how many atheists become atheists. I've known many Christians who have told me to read the Bible to find the truth. I agreed with them, only my version of the truth was the total opposite of theirs. The Bible is an amazing book, in that the reader may find in it, exactly what she is looking for, even if she is unaware of what that it.

So now that I've let go of God, I can't imagine how I could ever make myself believe again. I may as well make an attempt at belief in Zeus. Afterall, I've got just as much evidence for him.

I don't think about being an atheist very much in my day to day life. I only think about it, when someone else mentions atheists or atheism. This happens a lot more online, as people talk more freely behind computer screens. It's the subject of much debate. I don't think I'm really all that different than most Americans. We all do what we feel is right for ourselves. I just take accountability for it.

Well, that's all on this topic for now. If more comes to me, I will share it with you.

Gosh I haven't written here for so long. What is wrong with me? So what shall I talk about? I guess I could share a life lesson I've learned with you all. Why not? I've got plenty of them. Please excuse the awkwardness of this post. I'm a bit rusty.

A life lesson-save the excuses.

Excuses might make you feel better, but really, they don't make anyone else feel better. Excuses can sometimes serve the purpose of explanations, but really, that only works if the person on the receiving end is looking for an explanation.

Shit happens. People get sick, hurt. The car breaks down. The person who was supposed to be there for you fell through. But the bottom line is something didn't get done, that you were supposed to do, or something got done that wasn't supposed to, and it's your fault. No point in defending yourself; that only makes the party you're making excuses to more annoyed.

So what do you do? Try this simple phrase, "I'm sorry I disappointed you. I understand how you are upset? What can I do to make it better? Or, "I'll be more aware of that in the future".

Owning up to your failings, even when they are beyond your control shows the other person that you are accountable for yourself, that you own your failings, and that you want to work with them. Excuses show weakness, lack of accountability, and an incessant need for self-preservation.

So, try it sometime. Don't make excuses. Stand up and show someone that you are a dependable person, even when you fall short of expectations.

A Child's Life is Worth More Than $15

$15 is all it costs to equip an automatic transmission with a break transmission shift interlock device or BTSI. This is the device that prevents the car's gears from being shifted unless someone's foot is on the brake.

This is a very real danger that car manufacturers have known about for 30 years. If the key is in the ignition and turned to accessory mode, to turn on a radio, or DVD player, or even just to roll down a window, the gear shift can accidentally be knocked into neutral by a child or adult and roll away.

Sadly last weekend, one of my fellow Cafemom members lost her son when a neighbor got out of her Chevy Suburban and a child shifted the car into neutral. The car rolled down a slightly inclined driveway and pinned the child's brother against the house. We can all say that could never happen to us, but all it took was someone else's lapse in judgement and now a child is dead. One moment when the child's parents had gone inside, thinking their kids were safe because another adult was supposed to be watching them, but wasn't paying attention, and a mother had to watch her son take his last breath, helpless to save him.

For $15 a tragedy could have been prevented. We can't control what every individual does, but we can demand that car manufacturers install these simple safety devices on all cars. Most cars already have such a system, but not all. It's time for us to speak up and ask why not.

Thank you for reading! Please have some respect for the mother who lost her son and keep your negative comments to yourself!

An Open Letter to Valerie Shirk

For the Shirks, it was a day for their children to seek inspiration from Palin and the other speakers, who questioned Obama’s patriotism and at least one of whom referred to him repeatedly as Barack Hussein.

The couple, who rely on Medicaid for their health care, were also upset about the nation’s new health reforms.

When asked why her family used state-subsidized health care when she criticized people who take handouts, Valerie Shirk said she did not want to stop having children, and that her husband’s income was not enough to cover the family with private insurance.

“I know there’s a dichotomy because of what we get from the state,’’ she said. “But I just look at each of my children as a blessing.’’

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/15/tea_party_rally_generates_plenty_of_criticism_opposing_views/?page=2

Dear Mr. & Mrs. Shirk,

While you were dragging your brood of children off to criticize our new health plan, I was hard at work at my retail job, a job I work work my ass off at for 40 hours a week, a job that has me in at 5:30 am some days, and has me leaving at midnight some days. A quarter of my pay goes to pay for my family's health insurance. Unfortunately, this policy will not cover my chronically ill daughter because she, being 22 years old, and not a full time student, is not eligible under current law. My daughter would be covered if the new health care bill were in place today. But since she isn't covered, she is on Medicaid. She is the kind of person Medicaid was meant for, people who are in a tough spot, or who are battling illness, people who just need a little help, not hypocrites like you! You pop out 10 kids, and then think it's the taxpayers responsibility to cover their health insurance? You complain of the welfare, while you rely on the government to help you raise your children?

By the way, I'm a homeschooling mom too. I have to cram lessons in before and after work and on my days off with my 14 year old son. It's called sacrifice. That's what real parents do.

I Am a Working Mom

Want to be in top physical condition? Forget the gym-work at Lowe's.
I work in the paint department at Lowe's. I've never had such big guns in my life. Really, curling barbells every day for 30 minutes would produce a mere fraction of the musculature that I comes from lifting 1 gallon paint cans repeatedly throughout the day.
For lower body exercise there's lifting 5 gallon buckets of paint. There's also climbing ladders, squatting, streching, and running around the floor to assist the myraid of customers that cross my path each day.
Abs, back, shoulders, everything is covered in this intensive full-body workout. Even the mind does sprints with the popourri of daily challenges.
And no fancy workout clothes required here folks. Just throw on an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt, and the fine folks at Lowe's will supply you with a dandy red vest.
Wear study shoes or you'll destroy your feet!

Baby Daddy

My baby deserves more than a baby daddy.
Hope for your sake that you wake up and figure that out before she does.

I'm a SAHM-a term I use only for simplicity's sake.

I'm a career SAHM. That's stay-at-home mom for those of you who missed the acronym born during the height of the mommy wars. Basically, with no college education, or training, and 4 kids to raise, it never really made sense for me to work full time outside the home. There were some spurts during the last 21 years that I have worked full time-at a daycare with my youngest in tow, at a home improvement store the ONE year all 4 of my kids were in school full time, but for the most part it's been full time homemaker, and a few part time retail or babysitting jobs.

Anyway, I find the term SAHM quite ironic with all the places we must go as mothers-the grocery store, the errands, sports, dance, and other various activities. SAHM sounds like I'm in time-out or something. And what a passive them that is. "What do you do?" "Why, I stay home..." Forget all those years of hands on care when the kids were little-you know, the kind of care people pay others for when they go to work.