these very small steps toward full-humanity are as follows:
1. i spent saturday afternoon reclaiming my deck from the hazardous remains of winter. i repotted most of my plants, swept, brought out the deck chairs, re-situated my plants to afford best light to all, dusted down old tv-stand-turned-coffee-table, and hung my green swag lamp back on it's hook.
2. i started shane claiborne's new(-er) book Jesus for President. i have to admit, that i kinda forced myself to start this one. there's something about fame and popularity that truly repels me- as soon as something or someone becomes widely known and appreciated, i'm no longer interested. so even though i really liked shane's first book, his cult-like following and widespread speaking tour has made me uninterested to hear anything else he has to say. also, this would be the first blatantly christian book i've read in months and i wasn't all that excited to get trapped back into the jargon and subtle mind-games i've been successfully avoiding. and finally, part of me has been avoiding this book because most of my reading is done in public places and even though i've been taught to evangelize to those around me- i just can't see myself whipping out jesus for president while riding the bus or in the breakroom at work.
the book has been a pleasant surprise, however... that's why i'm including it in this list of positive steps taken. shane's interpretation of the bible and politics is as radical as ever and i find it refreshing to imagine another sort of faith and another sort of God. it's also helping ease me back into the global community- reminding me why it's good to consume less and share more- giving validation to the parts of my life that are backwards and upside-down and inside-out. and if nothing else, the book it just plain pretty. if you haven't already seen it, it has drawings and photos and cut-n-paste art all over each page-notes are scribbled in sideways and images of plants take over the binding. it makes me happy just to look at... and i make sure to hide the cover when in public.
3. i've started a novel... writing one, that is. with my lack of follow-through, i have no idea whether this will ever get finished. but i hope it does. my sister is helping to write a script for a movie she's working on and has gotten in the habit of calling me so we can talk things out and decide on the most appropriate dialogue and how to convey proper character development etc etc. well, analyzing characters and organizing plot lines has got me daydreaming up stories of my own and creating mini scenarios and plots and dialogue. (sidenote: as it turns out... all that smutty teen-drama tv i've been watching has paid off in that now i know what NOT to do). more on this to come, so far it's still all in my head and needs to be organized and then written... i also need to consider which age-group i'm aiming this at- it seems teen requires certain restrictions while adult seems overly sexualized... any suggestions?
4. i made myself a collapsable-hoop so that my hooping-practice will no longer be limited by location. similarly, i've successfully broken onto my apartment's rooftop and have plans to convert it into liz's hooping arena as it has plenty of space, a nice view, and few onlookers (excepting the periodic L train full of passengers..)
thank you to all of you that responded with ideas on what to read and watch...(namely ally and becca :o) i will definitely take those suggestions. (sidenote: becca, what's that book you lent kansas city michael that you love so much? i've been daydreaming about it for months, imagining it could give me the kind of spiritual hug your amma is known for).
my list is still quite long, but progress always frees up more space to add something new... like how to make my own clothing patterns so i can stop giving vogue all my money. i've also re-added blogging toward the top of the list. i'm a bit fearful that this too may fade to the background and be forgotten or over-looked... my brief absence recently could be a foreshadowing. so to keep that from happening, i'm going to attempt the un-thinkable. blog every day this week... even if i don't have anything brilliant or witty to say... so bear with me- and if you're out there and want to drop me an encouraging "someone's actually reading this" comment... it'd be greatly appreciated :o)
final note: i've been meaning to tell you about this woman who comes into work that we call the banana lady. but it's late and i don't have much energy to go into detail about who she is or why we unashamedly label her with the banana lady title, but i thought i should mention that we've (her and i) have started to establish a sort of friendship as of late. she smiles at me when we see each other in the store and something in her eyes lets me believe we have a secret bond that none of my other co-workers are aware of. ...so crazy banana lady, if you're out there and reading this... hello, and i'm glad you come to work multiple times in the same day to purchase obscene amounts of bananas (and only bananas), and i'm glad that you do silly things like walk around the store with a banana on your head or bring in obscure "banana-containers" to carefully transport your prized purchase back home. you make my day and i'm glad that people like you exist.