brief

brief reflections and generalizations:

1. The disappointment of spring is that as the leaves are growing back on the trees, I don't have as much of a view onto the sidewalks and paths as I used to. I have to duck around a lot if I want to see who's walking down there.

2. When I'm around people who are very quiet, I sometimes forget that their senses work. I'm surprised when they talk and I doubt that their sense of smell and hearing are fully functional.

3. Most important events in my life don't seem to be as dramatic as they should be, while I'm experiencing thom; most dramatic experiences end up not being very important.

4. People don't need my agreement or approval to be doing the work of God. They don't need to "minister" to me to be doing the work of God either. And it's very important to not get in God's way, and to not be so arrogant as to think that theological precision is as important as love for God.

5. I don't like euphemistic language. But, I do care a lot about effective communication and taking care to not use words that convey a different meaning than intended (even though, ultimately, words are too slippery to control). In interpersonal problems, I think it's hard to find true healing unless you acknowledge the true depth of the pain. I'm not using that as excuse to be an asshole, incidentally.

6. After telling a few of my friends today that I used to seriously dislike them, one of them mentioned that my disliking someone intensely (who I don't know) may be a litmus test for whether I end up becoming friends with them. That's been accurate in a lot of cases in my life.