Monday, November 30, 2009
New Blog URL
In case you’ve StumbledUpon this blog by chance, here is a handy link to take you to its new location: http://www.fowlertown.com/daniel/blog
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Undeserved Inspiration
I just had an interesting revelation as I was lying in bed trying to go to sleep. I had to write it down (or type it out, rather) because I'm certain I wouldn't have remembered it by morning.
You know that paranoia that people face in the early stages of attraction to another person? It's the feeling that you're not good enough for them, like they're out of your league. You get a little afraid that they are going to overlook you, and that if you don't do better [at life], you will lose them. It's a "pedestal conviction," so to speak. I hypothesize that this is actually a very very good indication that one's feelings for that person are virtuous.
When two people see each other for awhile, it's rather common that one person will have feelings of inferior worth. Like your other half is better than you, that you don't deserve them. Good. I mean bad, but if you receive these feelings in a healthy manner, it is actually quite good.
It is a virtue. A sort of tangent on a very overlooked biblical command for relationships, which is to build each other up; to inspire one another. Your partner should make you want to be a better person. They should raise the bar for your personal life. They should inspire you to live better. If you don't feel motivated to be better for your partner's sake, then either they're no good for you, you're drowning in your own self-satisfaction.
For we Christians, the latter is just the kind of pompous arrogance that should warn us to reevaluate our own selfish ambitions. Humility is a very undervalued personality trait in today's society. I am guilty of not having enough of it, I can tell you that with certainty. But now I'm getting off topic, so it's time to say goodnight.
You know that paranoia that people face in the early stages of attraction to another person? It's the feeling that you're not good enough for them, like they're out of your league. You get a little afraid that they are going to overlook you, and that if you don't do better [at life], you will lose them. It's a "pedestal conviction," so to speak. I hypothesize that this is actually a very very good indication that one's feelings for that person are virtuous.
When two people see each other for awhile, it's rather common that one person will have feelings of inferior worth. Like your other half is better than you, that you don't deserve them. Good. I mean bad, but if you receive these feelings in a healthy manner, it is actually quite good.
It is a virtue. A sort of tangent on a very overlooked biblical command for relationships, which is to build each other up; to inspire one another. Your partner should make you want to be a better person. They should raise the bar for your personal life. They should inspire you to live better. If you don't feel motivated to be better for your partner's sake, then either they're no good for you, you're drowning in your own self-satisfaction.
For we Christians, the latter is just the kind of pompous arrogance that should warn us to reevaluate our own selfish ambitions. Humility is a very undervalued personality trait in today's society. I am guilty of not having enough of it, I can tell you that with certainty. But now I'm getting off topic, so it's time to say goodnight.
Monday, November 23, 2009
15 Months & Counting...
Yes, my blog entries may be a little fewer and farther between now than they were eight months ago, but ya know what? I'm darn proud of myself for having kept up with this blog now for 15 consecutive months. It's been a wonderful release at times when I've needed it the most, and I look forward to the next 15 months forthcoming.
That being said... do any creative people out there want to help me redesign my blog for 2010? When I branded it with this gosh awful blueish-green theme earlier this year, I did so with the intentions that my website would soon follow suit. Well... I abandoned the website redesign and never revisited my blog. I'd love to have something a little more... masculine? Or at least interesting... If you or someone you know would like to collaborate with me and work towards this goal, I welcome the graphic insight assistance and would graciously pass along the credit of how awesome everything [will] look.
That being said... do any creative people out there want to help me redesign my blog for 2010? When I branded it with this gosh awful blueish-green theme earlier this year, I did so with the intentions that my website would soon follow suit. Well... I abandoned the website redesign and never revisited my blog. I'd love to have something a little more... masculine? Or at least interesting... If you or someone you know would like to collaborate with me and work towards this goal, I welcome the graphic insight assistance and would graciously pass along the credit of how awesome everything [will] look.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
A Familiar Paradox
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and to be loved in return."
That's one of my most favorite quotes because I believe it to be wholly and completely true. The scenario it presents is two-fold: (1) to love someone, and (2) to be loved by that person. When both of these occur simultaneously, the result is "the greatest thing" ever. That's why God gave Eve to Adam.
But... if either of these two halves occurs without the other, it can have a directly opposite effect: utterly helpless grief. That's my paradox. That's my fear. That's my paranoia.
I met this girl recently. All you need to know is that she is terrific. She dances, she sings, and she acts. She loves Jesus, she's got a heart of gold, and she's even on Twitter. And she's beautiful! Her eyes are blue like the sky on a sunny day (I think... we haven't really had many sunny days recently). And as far as I can tell, we're hitting things off. "As far as I can tell" - can you really ever tell what a woman is thinking? But we have all kinds of things in common and we enjoy a lot of fun together whether it's alone or with a group of mutual friends. And she's kind of a Facebook stalker, which I think is awesome.
So sets in the paranoia. Naturally you want to know if someone views you in the same light as you view them. I like this girl, and so it has become a balancing act. Coming on too strong will chase her off. Not coming on at all puts a guy in "the friend zone" which is completely no bueno when you like someone. So I'm paranoid that by thinking about it too much, I'm gonna screw up somehow. Self-fulfilling prophecy and all that nonsense.
Quite frankly I'm scared of confronting her with a "DTR" because to do so would admit feelings and initiate the first half of the above equation. What if she isn't feeling the attraction that I am? That would suck. But I guess it's better to find out sooner than later, right? I feel like I've offered enough advice in my day that could be directly applied to the current state of my personal affairs but for some reason, it's only easy to advise on one's circumstances when you don't have a personal stake in them. I wish I had a archive of all the advice I'd ever given people. Then I could go back and read it all again as if someone was giving it to me for the 741st time.
I haven't spoken of this girl to anyone, so if you think you know who it is... you probably don't. Usually when I confide in someone about a girl, it never works out. That's a cycle I'd like to see ended.
That's one of my most favorite quotes because I believe it to be wholly and completely true. The scenario it presents is two-fold: (1) to love someone, and (2) to be loved by that person. When both of these occur simultaneously, the result is "the greatest thing" ever. That's why God gave Eve to Adam.
But... if either of these two halves occurs without the other, it can have a directly opposite effect: utterly helpless grief. That's my paradox. That's my fear. That's my paranoia.
I met this girl recently. All you need to know is that she is terrific. She dances, she sings, and she acts. She loves Jesus, she's got a heart of gold, and she's even on Twitter. And she's beautiful! Her eyes are blue like the sky on a sunny day (I think... we haven't really had many sunny days recently). And as far as I can tell, we're hitting things off. "As far as I can tell" - can you really ever tell what a woman is thinking? But we have all kinds of things in common and we enjoy a lot of fun together whether it's alone or with a group of mutual friends. And she's kind of a Facebook stalker, which I think is awesome.
So sets in the paranoia. Naturally you want to know if someone views you in the same light as you view them. I like this girl, and so it has become a balancing act. Coming on too strong will chase her off. Not coming on at all puts a guy in "the friend zone" which is completely no bueno when you like someone. So I'm paranoid that by thinking about it too much, I'm gonna screw up somehow. Self-fulfilling prophecy and all that nonsense.
Quite frankly I'm scared of confronting her with a "DTR" because to do so would admit feelings and initiate the first half of the above equation. What if she isn't feeling the attraction that I am? That would suck. But I guess it's better to find out sooner than later, right? I feel like I've offered enough advice in my day that could be directly applied to the current state of my personal affairs but for some reason, it's only easy to advise on one's circumstances when you don't have a personal stake in them. I wish I had a archive of all the advice I'd ever given people. Then I could go back and read it all again as if someone was giving it to me for the 741st time.
I haven't spoken of this girl to anyone, so if you think you know who it is... you probably don't. Usually when I confide in someone about a girl, it never works out. That's a cycle I'd like to see ended.
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