What Would Sappho Say?
Lectori Salutem! or L.S. (Greetings to the Reader!)
I had dreamed owning my Harley before buying one esoterically for 20 years since I owned my last two-wheeled vehicle, a sparkling white, Honda Elite 150 that got me around Austin as I attended the university there. I had blue hair for three years and became known around the central Austin area off the scooter as well. “Aren’t you that girl with the white scooter?” was a question that a got more often than I would have imagined but then completely blue hair for such a long period of time was a little unique. I know my parents went from shock to annoyance as the Christmas picture sent to relatives year after year was always colorful!
The most dramatic story involving my blue hair had to be inadvertently the story behind the scar that lies from stem to stern in the picture that adorns this website. I might as well dive in and give you all the dyke drama now as we have segued from one subject to another and the questions regarding its origin have kept coming. I promise to return to Harleys and women and their toys between their legs in detail in a blog to come. These things just go where they take me. If you haven’t guessed yet the story involved a car accident.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Friday, December 11, 2009
Sappho Speaks: Social Chameleons: Friend Or Foe?
What Would Sappho Say?
Lectori Salutem! or L.S. (Greetings to the Reader!)
I’m sure all of us know what a chameleon is, especially here in Texas where those green suckers go running by with their gorgeous grapefruit necks puffing in and out. What though, is a social chameleon? There is the standard definition as someone who tries to change the way they interact depending on who they are with by mimicking others behavior, sometimes down to their gestures, thus putting their subjects at ease and making everyone they are with feel special and more at ease. OK… WARNING!!!! THE NEXT THREE PARAGRAPHS ARE A BIT DRY AND SCIENTIFIC-Y BUT VERY INTERESTING TO ME AND I THINK SOME OF MY READERS. IF YOU CARE NOT WHERE/WHAT A SOCIAL CHAMELEON IS, HOW THEY GET IN YOUR LIFE, ETC SKIP THEM BUT READ THE BOLD TEXT!!!
This kind of person is not easy to spot as they are highly intelligent and almost always an INTP (Introspective intuitive Thinking Perceiving) or Introverted Thinking with Extroverted Intuition according to the Myers Briggs Standardized Personality Test. Now, to be sure, not all or even most INTPs are social chameleons and the inverted is certainly not always true either and that is the case we will be looking at for INTP social chameleons are usually harmless in their intentions. While extremely intelligent, they seem to adapt to their surroundings as a way to put others at ease (including themselves) for they live a more solitary existence than most and are constantly stuck inside their own minds analyzing difficult problems, identifying patterns of how life could be improved, and coming up with logical explanations to share with others. It is my belief that these are not the social chameleons to be wary of. These are not the people that will end up hurting you without warning.
My definition of the second kind of social chameleon is similar only in face value to the first. The real social chameleons that go from person to person being all things to all people are simply a blank slate in reality. They are either so damaged or so stunted that at some point in their growth they simply shut down and adopted a malleable yet likable persona – a simpleton of sorts that layers could be added or subtracted to depending upon the situation. The layers become a bit thicker through the years but the true person never changes and the values or belief system that make up anyone are simply not present in this core. It is built into the layers – layers that on some issues have both the positive and negative viewpoint to fulfill everyone’s dream for the perfect friend or lover. How is this different than the above definition? This persona requires no special intelligence, only a good memory and the ability to split off into different versions of one’s self at a whim. For this type of social chameleon the layers are revealed to new people in their life so slowly they are often seen as mysterious and elusive, a trait the chameleon encourages in their friends and prey.
Lectori Salutem! or L.S. (Greetings to the Reader!)
I’m sure all of us know what a chameleon is, especially here in Texas where those green suckers go running by with their gorgeous grapefruit necks puffing in and out. What though, is a social chameleon? There is the standard definition as someone who tries to change the way they interact depending on who they are with by mimicking others behavior, sometimes down to their gestures, thus putting their subjects at ease and making everyone they are with feel special and more at ease. OK… WARNING!!!! THE NEXT THREE PARAGRAPHS ARE A BIT DRY AND SCIENTIFIC-Y BUT VERY INTERESTING TO ME AND I THINK SOME OF MY READERS. IF YOU CARE NOT WHERE/WHAT A SOCIAL CHAMELEON IS, HOW THEY GET IN YOUR LIFE, ETC SKIP THEM BUT READ THE BOLD TEXT!!!
This kind of person is not easy to spot as they are highly intelligent and almost always an INTP (Introspective intuitive Thinking Perceiving) or Introverted Thinking with Extroverted Intuition according to the Myers Briggs Standardized Personality Test. Now, to be sure, not all or even most INTPs are social chameleons and the inverted is certainly not always true either and that is the case we will be looking at for INTP social chameleons are usually harmless in their intentions. While extremely intelligent, they seem to adapt to their surroundings as a way to put others at ease (including themselves) for they live a more solitary existence than most and are constantly stuck inside their own minds analyzing difficult problems, identifying patterns of how life could be improved, and coming up with logical explanations to share with others. It is my belief that these are not the social chameleons to be wary of. These are not the people that will end up hurting you without warning.
My definition of the second kind of social chameleon is similar only in face value to the first. The real social chameleons that go from person to person being all things to all people are simply a blank slate in reality. They are either so damaged or so stunted that at some point in their growth they simply shut down and adopted a malleable yet likable persona – a simpleton of sorts that layers could be added or subtracted to depending upon the situation. The layers become a bit thicker through the years but the true person never changes and the values or belief system that make up anyone are simply not present in this core. It is built into the layers – layers that on some issues have both the positive and negative viewpoint to fulfill everyone’s dream for the perfect friend or lover. How is this different than the above definition? This persona requires no special intelligence, only a good memory and the ability to split off into different versions of one’s self at a whim. For this type of social chameleon the layers are revealed to new people in their life so slowly they are often seen as mysterious and elusive, a trait the chameleon encourages in their friends and prey.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Sappho Speaks: Hey Uncle John? Is Aunt Diana Gay?
What Would Sappho Say?
Lectori Salutem! or L.S. (Greetings to the Reader!)
How do you start to tell the young people in your life about your sexuality when you are not their parents? We all grew up with different backgrounds and our coming out stories are completely different., but I imagine their of some of you like me with a niece or a nephew or some other child who has been growing up around you raised by your semi-tolerant family that has never spoken a word about homosexuality in their home. They finally reach an age where if you don’t talk to them about one of the people they love most in the world, you, what road of tolerance and acceptance will they go down in high school or late junior high if you don’t have THE TALK with them. It is yet another coming out that must occur on a child you are unsure of what verbage and context he or she was given fro the word “homosexual.” I know it scares the crap out of me to think this little boy I loved from the instant he was born and have made an awesome connection with that has carried us to a closeness I never dreamed possible without having kids of my own and to think of what will I face in the moments I reveal my truth to his 15 year-old self. Deep down though to keep his trust I know it is time. I am starting this new chapter in y life by writing this blog and while I am remaining anonymous to the greater public, all the older members of my family will know it is me and some day in the near future my real name will be associated with my work as I have a second and different kind of coming out party of an artistic nature. Should the best possible scenario occur and the word spread of my words around the local area and my nephew were to stumble upon it without me ever having said a word to him about my life, just assuming he has picked up the cues along the way and googles my name, perpetuates the illusion that my family is ashamed of who I am and in a way, so am I. The message would be that I am not accepted fully by those around me exactly the way I am and therefore he should use a different model the true one that exists in our family for those gays and lesbians he encounters in his life. THE FALSITY IS I AM ACCEPTED BY EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY. I JUST HAVE NOT HAD A SERIOUS GIRLFRIEND TO BRING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS WHILE HE CAN REMEMBER FROM HIS CHILDHOOD.
Lectori Salutem! or L.S. (Greetings to the Reader!)
How do you start to tell the young people in your life about your sexuality when you are not their parents? We all grew up with different backgrounds and our coming out stories are completely different., but I imagine their of some of you like me with a niece or a nephew or some other child who has been growing up around you raised by your semi-tolerant family that has never spoken a word about homosexuality in their home. They finally reach an age where if you don’t talk to them about one of the people they love most in the world, you, what road of tolerance and acceptance will they go down in high school or late junior high if you don’t have THE TALK with them. It is yet another coming out that must occur on a child you are unsure of what verbage and context he or she was given fro the word “homosexual.” I know it scares the crap out of me to think this little boy I loved from the instant he was born and have made an awesome connection with that has carried us to a closeness I never dreamed possible without having kids of my own and to think of what will I face in the moments I reveal my truth to his 15 year-old self. Deep down though to keep his trust I know it is time. I am starting this new chapter in y life by writing this blog and while I am remaining anonymous to the greater public, all the older members of my family will know it is me and some day in the near future my real name will be associated with my work as I have a second and different kind of coming out party of an artistic nature. Should the best possible scenario occur and the word spread of my words around the local area and my nephew were to stumble upon it without me ever having said a word to him about my life, just assuming he has picked up the cues along the way and googles my name, perpetuates the illusion that my family is ashamed of who I am and in a way, so am I. The message would be that I am not accepted fully by those around me exactly the way I am and therefore he should use a different model the true one that exists in our family for those gays and lesbians he encounters in his life. THE FALSITY IS I AM ACCEPTED BY EVERYONE IN MY FAMILY. I JUST HAVE NOT HAD A SERIOUS GIRLFRIEND TO BRING HOME FOR CHRISTMAS WHILE HE CAN REMEMBER FROM HIS CHILDHOOD.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Sappho Speaks: The Ladies of the 40's and 50's
What Would Sappho Say?
Lectori Salutem! or L.S. (Greetings to the Reader!)
As some of you may notice, my strict adherence to MWFSu posts is no longer in affect as I said I would only be sticking to particular days of the week for the first two weeks and now I am promising to have 3 new full blog posts a week and 3 new music posts a week. I have to admit, I didn’t realize how grueling a schedule this would be while trying to continue to write on my other projects as well. As I become more proficient in HTML (the programming language I use to post my blogs) and more streamlines in my writing abilities for the blog (in other words, not feeling the need to go and on…), I am sure my posting percentage will rise again and I hope you as readers will continue to tune in to hear the often unorthodox opinions I have of a wide range of topics.
Those of you that are sticking with me, I appreciate your patience as I start this new journey of self-discovery and for every new person visiting my site on a dialing basis, THANKS for taking the time to entertain my thoughts for even a day. It is an honor and a privilege I do not take for granted I assure you.
Well, today once again it is all about the music and I have picked some of the best and the brightest from the big band era when Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong ruled the day. I wish I could play them all – Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Mahalia Jackson, Sarah Vaughn and a little later there was Etta James and Nina Simone. (Yes, I am sure I have left a few out.)
As I said on one of my earlier posts, these were the sounds that emanated through my house as a child as my dad loves these women and I can still hear their voices on high singing his favorite songs on any given day if visiting while he is wiling the day away in his woodshop.
It is hard to pick just three or four of these greats to share with you but hopefully the songs of these greats will inspire you to add them to your music collection and forever remember the impact this past still have on the present R&B and soul music we listen to today. I know I can’t please even myself cutting these women down to four songs, but these are some of my favorites. Please give them a try!!!! You will be pleasantly surprised!!!
MUSIC OF THE DAY
Here Comes the Sun Nina Simone
We Shall Overcome Mahalia Jackson
If Loving You Is Wrong Etta James
Fever Ella Fitzgerald
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
Plato
Lectori Salutem! or L.S. (Greetings to the Reader!)
As some of you may notice, my strict adherence to MWFSu posts is no longer in affect as I said I would only be sticking to particular days of the week for the first two weeks and now I am promising to have 3 new full blog posts a week and 3 new music posts a week. I have to admit, I didn’t realize how grueling a schedule this would be while trying to continue to write on my other projects as well. As I become more proficient in HTML (the programming language I use to post my blogs) and more streamlines in my writing abilities for the blog (in other words, not feeling the need to go and on…), I am sure my posting percentage will rise again and I hope you as readers will continue to tune in to hear the often unorthodox opinions I have of a wide range of topics.
Those of you that are sticking with me, I appreciate your patience as I start this new journey of self-discovery and for every new person visiting my site on a dialing basis, THANKS for taking the time to entertain my thoughts for even a day. It is an honor and a privilege I do not take for granted I assure you.
Well, today once again it is all about the music and I have picked some of the best and the brightest from the big band era when Benny Goodman and Louis Armstrong ruled the day. I wish I could play them all – Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Mahalia Jackson, Sarah Vaughn and a little later there was Etta James and Nina Simone. (Yes, I am sure I have left a few out.)
As I said on one of my earlier posts, these were the sounds that emanated through my house as a child as my dad loves these women and I can still hear their voices on high singing his favorite songs on any given day if visiting while he is wiling the day away in his woodshop.
It is hard to pick just three or four of these greats to share with you but hopefully the songs of these greats will inspire you to add them to your music collection and forever remember the impact this past still have on the present R&B and soul music we listen to today. I know I can’t please even myself cutting these women down to four songs, but these are some of my favorites. Please give them a try!!!! You will be pleasantly surprised!!!
MUSIC OF THE DAY
Here Comes the Sun Nina Simone
We Shall Overcome Mahalia Jackson
If Loving You Is Wrong Etta James
Fever Ella Fitzgerald
QUOTE OF THE DAY
Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
Plato
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Sappho Speaks: Lost Faith... And The Long Journey Back
What Would Sappho Say?
Lectori Salutem! or L.S. (Greetings to the Reader!)
We all knew it wouldn’t be long before religion reared its head in this forum of my self-expression. Much to some people’s disbelief this will not be the blog where I take out my axe and chip away at the organized forms of expressing religious beliefs and the very existence of God or spout from the handbooks I have read in recent years like Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion or Ravi Zacharias The End of Reason. Instead, I am going to start out slow with this subject and introduce you first to the side of me that was formed into the being I am today with a few stories of my early life in churches and my experiences there and at some other date soon my journey back inside the doors of a place of worship almost 25 years later with a freedom of belief and a renewed outlook on fellowship and communion in the broadest sense of the word among parishioners.
To be perfectly honest, growing up my recollections of my parents’ religious beliefs are few. My senses tell me from a young age that my mother has a strong faith in something greater than herself, God if you will, as she has been through more before the age of 10 than most people go through their entire lives and yet she emerged the most loving, giving, spiritually centered, confident, empathetic and emotionally healthy person I have yet to meet in this life. Perhaps we all say these things about our mothers but it is the people around her that flock to her for emotional support, to tell her their secrets, to get one of her soothing hugs and a kind word, and to feel special as the center of her attention which she gives with abundance. With all of this love and godly behavior, I only remember attending church with her on very few occasions and even fewer with my dad. It just wasn’t part of our lives.
It wasn’t until I was in junior high school and one of my best friends Jennifer attended a Methodist church with a great youth group called Methodist Youth Fellowship or MYF that I attended with any kind of regularity. Here I would become familiar with the tunes that accompany the hymns of all the Christian religions, regardless of the words. There are about 10 or 12 heavily relied upon ditties that seem to make the church choirs sing in jubilation the most. Anyone who has gone to more than one religious institution has surly heard their favorite hymn, only sung with different words. Back at the Methodist church, MYF was involved in everything. We went on day trips to the parks around Houston as well as places of interest in the surrounding area; parents who had lake houses in the Hill Country and Piney Woods would volunteer their places for weekend getaways; every year a major musical production, of G-rating of course, was put on for the congregation (this is what really drew me to the church in the first place); and in the summers there was the great tradition of church camp where boyfriends were found and new best friendships were forged. What 11 or 12 year-old could resist?
Lectori Salutem! or L.S. (Greetings to the Reader!)
We all knew it wouldn’t be long before religion reared its head in this forum of my self-expression. Much to some people’s disbelief this will not be the blog where I take out my axe and chip away at the organized forms of expressing religious beliefs and the very existence of God or spout from the handbooks I have read in recent years like Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion or Ravi Zacharias The End of Reason. Instead, I am going to start out slow with this subject and introduce you first to the side of me that was formed into the being I am today with a few stories of my early life in churches and my experiences there and at some other date soon my journey back inside the doors of a place of worship almost 25 years later with a freedom of belief and a renewed outlook on fellowship and communion in the broadest sense of the word among parishioners.
To be perfectly honest, growing up my recollections of my parents’ religious beliefs are few. My senses tell me from a young age that my mother has a strong faith in something greater than herself, God if you will, as she has been through more before the age of 10 than most people go through their entire lives and yet she emerged the most loving, giving, spiritually centered, confident, empathetic and emotionally healthy person I have yet to meet in this life. Perhaps we all say these things about our mothers but it is the people around her that flock to her for emotional support, to tell her their secrets, to get one of her soothing hugs and a kind word, and to feel special as the center of her attention which she gives with abundance. With all of this love and godly behavior, I only remember attending church with her on very few occasions and even fewer with my dad. It just wasn’t part of our lives.
It wasn’t until I was in junior high school and one of my best friends Jennifer attended a Methodist church with a great youth group called Methodist Youth Fellowship or MYF that I attended with any kind of regularity. Here I would become familiar with the tunes that accompany the hymns of all the Christian religions, regardless of the words. There are about 10 or 12 heavily relied upon ditties that seem to make the church choirs sing in jubilation the most. Anyone who has gone to more than one religious institution has surly heard their favorite hymn, only sung with different words. Back at the Methodist church, MYF was involved in everything. We went on day trips to the parks around Houston as well as places of interest in the surrounding area; parents who had lake houses in the Hill Country and Piney Woods would volunteer their places for weekend getaways; every year a major musical production, of G-rating of course, was put on for the congregation (this is what really drew me to the church in the first place); and in the summers there was the great tradition of church camp where boyfriends were found and new best friendships were forged. What 11 or 12 year-old could resist?
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