Marriage & All that Stuff

I found some G. K. Chesterton Quotes on marriage and sex and all that stuff there. They are quite fantastic and thought I should share.

"Love means loving the unlovable - or it is no virtue at all." - Heretics, 1905

"A man imagines a happy marriage as a marriage of love; even if he makes fun of marriages that are without love, or feels sorry for lovers who are without marriage." - Chaucer

"Women are the only realists; their whole object in life is to pit their realism against the extravagant, excessive, and occasionally drunken idealism of men." - A Handful of Authors

"The whole pleasure of marriage is that it is a perpetual crisis." - "David Copperfield," Chesterton on Dickens, 1911

"A good man's work is effected by doing what he does, a woman's by being what she is." - Robert Browning

"Women have a thirst for order and beauty as for something physical; there is a strange female power of hating ugliness and waste as good men can only hate sin and bad men virtue." - Chesterton on Dickens

"Marriage is a duel to the death which no man of honour should decline." - Manalive

"The first two facts which a healthy boy or girl feels about sex are these: first that it is beautiful and then that it is dangerous." - ILN 1/9/09

"I have little doubt that when St. George had killed the dragon he was heartily afraid of the princess." - The Victorian Age in Literature

And that, my friends is that. Here's the link.

Good night, and good luck.

Looking for a Hole

My academic writing is a bit dodgy at the moment, so I'm trying to write a paper and my words are hitting the page with about as much grace as a ton of bricks falling into a swimming pool full of pasta. It's not going well, which isn't really helping my cause. Ideas that were well formed a couple of days ago are getting stuck somewhere between my ears and elbows, and I'm not real sure what to do about it. My creativity is severely lacking even in this random quib about my life because I can't think of something creative to say about life.

Why did I decide to write everyday? What was I thinking? I think I need to find one of those daily inspiration sites that will send me something to write about.

Valentine's Day

Well, a year ago today, I was in Oxford, England drinking tea in a pub, reading Jane Austen, attending an incredibly romantic concert without a date, and having ice cream with friends. It was glorious. I remember it was the first Valentine's Day that I did not spend the whole day being depressed about being single. It was quite an accomplishment particularly since all of Oxford was decorated with hearts and pink and cute couples. However, it happened. And it was a lovely day.

This year, however, instead of bemoaning my singleness, I am missing the person responsible for my not having the title of 'single' attached to my Facebook profile (if in fact I decided to put it on Facebook). So instead of drinking tea in Oxford, I'm drinking tea in Wisconsin. And while there is no concert in a 200 year old concert hall for me this evening, I do get to electronically converse with that one guy, which is quite fun.

I promise this blog will not become a long lament or anything. But it is Valentine's Day. So, I get some leeway, right? I really do not enjoy those laments, so I assure you, this will not become one of those.

A Story

So, I just finished Graham Greene's 'The End of the Affair,' and although it is a morally questionable read, it is one of my favorite books. Strange? Probably, but it is amazing. I always feel like my heart should break after reading it, as it explores the differences and similarities of love and hate and how one man works through them all. As the two lovers meet and devour each other, Greene explores the idea of both hate and love consuming the very essence and life of a person. So much is consumed, in fact, that at the end of the novel nothing is left. Nothing, except for the One Thing that never runs out, and even He isn't wanted because of what was taken.

A Decision

I have made a decision.

You know how there are those Flickr photo challenge things where you have to take a new picture of yourself everyday for a year? I think I might try the same thing with writing. Granted, I probably won't have profound things to write about everyday, but it's worth a shot. And I have always wanted to write more, so perhaps this is a good reason to do it.

This little blip will count as my first attempt.

I can't think of anything profound to say other than I really like this guy I know. He's quite amazing. And I'm really sad that it's Valentine's Day tomorrow and he's two time zones away. Maybe someday that won't be the case, but for right now it is, and it stinks.

Deodorant

Have you seen the names they give woman's deodorant!?
Seriously??!!
Why on earth would you call deodorant 'Sexy Intrigue'?
Really?
It smells good, but why the name?
So, now we are objectifying women through the names given to deodorant?!
Who wants sexy armpits??
Come on now.

From Inside the Aquarium

There's a place on the UWGB campus where the buildings form an oddly shaped 'U', and on one of the sides, there is a cafe area with big windows that face other parts of the building so you can see other people eating at tables across the way.
The wind likes to play there.
You think I'm kidding?
You should have seen the twirling! It was crazy.
But every once in a while it would stop and almost look in the windows, almost like it was scoping out who had the best lunch. I was eating tuna salad on crackers. Very unimpressive as far as lunches go. And I think the wind agreed, so I didn't offer to share.
I kind of felt sympathy with fish in aquariums who are simply trying to eat their lunch, while strange shapes swirl around the outside of their glass trying to catch a glimpse of something.
Ever read 'The Fish' by Elizabeth Bishop? It is a beautiful poem, and for some reason sitting on the inside of the glass reminded me of it. Strange, I know. But this is a blog that very few, if any, people read, so I guess I'm allowed my moments.

From A Long Time Ago

Wednesday, April 18, 2007 at 11:24pm

do you ever have those days that seem better suited for a movie than real life? like its too impossible to be real?

monday was one of those days for me..

monday, april 16, 2007..

it started off fairly normal.. i was late for my 8am class.. i drank my chai tea and finished german homework.. sang loud songs in chapel.. learned about marriage in the victorian/pre-modern period.. ate something weird at the cafeteria..

i found out that someone had walked into virgina technical college and opened fire with some sort of gun.. killing, at the time, 22 people.. people attending school to get the same kind of degree i'm trying to earn..

german class was subdued.. Christian theology class was subdued.. the weight of that one man's decision weighing heavily and quieting a normally talkative classroom.. the kind of weight you couldn't just blow off.. the kind of weight that sits on your soul and forces you to think..

walking out of class, the sun was shining.. the birds were singing.. the breeze moving the newly formed leaves on the trees.. the earth seemed to quiet in response to the sadness caused by a man with a gun..

walking back to the dorm, i encountered an interesting development.. two men and a woman stood by the sidewalk by the cafeteria proclaiming God's judgement and the doom mankind faced.. they jarred me.. i'm sure their hearts are honestly looking to show people the truth, but having them there.. on that day.. it seemed.. i don' know.. disrespectful in a way..

so, i kept walking.. i really don't know what their message is completely about.. i've only listened for about 5 minutes today.. so.. i kept walking.. i went back to my room and took a nap.. and then i went to dinner.. and i was reminded that there is hope.. that there is hope for tomorrow because there will be a tomorrow because there is a God that holds tomorrow.. and i know the One that holds tomorrow.. and for that reason, i can have peace and hope..

i know monday was terrible.. and i know the people keep coming back..

but i also know that God is big.. and He is good.. and even though i have two papers due, a really really bad head/back ache, haven't seen my family in six months, and responsibilities i would like to avoid.. God is still good.. His character and love for me remain the same in the face of such weird obstacles..

there will be a tomorrow.. the bride will get the groom (for those of you who were in chapel today).. the sun will still rise and put beautiful colors all over the clouds..

there is still hope..