General

I have a great imagination. Often, it gets the best of me. I like to imagine myself into these alternate realities. They’re not entirely unlike my life, but they are generally a bit more than what I am.

My latest daydreams feature me as a twentysomething journalist. (See? I told you they’re not that unrealistic!) I travel the city in search of the next story for Birmingham magazine. I spend weekends roaming my Southside neighborhood, mingling with the neighbors and people-watching in Five Points. My designer glasses lend an air of cool to my practical approach to life.

Or sometimes I’ll change up more than my job status (I’m really an intern), neighborhood (I’m 20 minutes away) and glasses (mine are from Wal-mart – but I like ’em anyway!). Sunday I decided that the world’s best job would be to select the music for Starbucks’ mixed CDs. Have you ever noticed how good the music in there is? It makes my little heart happy.

What if I traveled abroad for a year, evangelizing and writing about my experiences? Stick this little southern gal in country far from her own and see what happens. It could be an interesting experiment, don’t you think?

Truth is, I rather like my reality. My home may not be my own and my job may be unpaid (and part time), but I still think I’m living the high life. So what if I have to drive 20 minutes to church? Life goes on, and in this life, that’s a dang good place to be.

So I’m a little behind on the church search updates. Gimme a few days and I’ll get back to you.

It’s Saturday. I’ve finished unpacking and moving in. The trunk of my car is filled with yard sale goods (and by “filled,” I mean, “imagine sitting on your suitcase to zip it up and you’ll have a picture of me closing my overstuffed trunk”). Random strangers have been discarded so picture frames may be filled with images of friends. What’s left to do?

VH1 always has an answer, and today it’s one of my favorites – I love the 80s!

1988 – weren’t those the days? I pretended to hate Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (because it was a boys’ show!), but was secretly glad my sister watched it. At my seventh birthday party, my friends and I filmed our own video for “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” California Raisins introduced me to a number of Motown hits. Isn’t that what every 7-year-old girl needs?

Praise the Lord that I was a child, not a teen, in the decade of excess. Heaven forbid I look back and agree with the “Hunks of 1988” list. Donald Trump? Dan Quayle? Are you kidding me?!

VH1 has already cashed in with I Love the 70s (boring to many who weren’t born yet – as was I Love 1980) and I Love the 90s (which I haven’t seen yet – but count me in! Let’s relive those years of teenage angst). What will they dream up for 2004?

I like to think current fashion and music are timeless. Surely I won’t look back at my pretty pink skirt and argyle sweater and ask, “What was I thinking?!” But did women in the 80s think we’d be mocking their shoulder pads 16 years later? I’m already wondering why I have so many float-y, hippie blouses (circa 2002).

Maybe I’m dating myself here, but weren’t our toys so much cooler? I have a Care Bear in my bedroom right now! What B-list celebrities will offer commentary? Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey might have a future in entertainment, after all. 😉

“Did you notice more people eating raisins after the California Raisins came out? I didn’t. I mean, I was eating a lot of raisins to begin with, but that’s because I needed the fiber. I desperately needed the fiber.” –Michael Ian Black

(And don’t get me started on 1989. That’s quite possibly the best pop-culture year yet.)

To whom it may concern:

I like atheists. Thanks very much.

Seriously though, I seem to have a certain affinity for these godless types. I’m not talking in a romantic sense – that would be entirely too “Just Don’t Want Coffee.” But something about these people appeals to me.

Maybe it’s because the atheists with whom I interact are a bit brash and obnoxious – and I can be too. Their wit displays a certain amount of intellect. Conversation with these guys is both stimulating and challenging; many times they’re smarter than I am, and that forces me to know my junk. Now, this is true regardless of whether we’re debating theology or not. (In fact, we usually are not.)

The atheists I know are also passionate about their atheism. It is often evidenced in their conversation, their attitude, their actions. I find myself asking, is my Christianity so obvious in my life? Does my faith come as a surprise, or is assumed from my actions?

Let me be clear: this is not a “we’re so much better than them because what we’ve got is truth” kind of post. In fact, I hold the people I have in mind in high esteem. I count one of them among my favorite professors. He’s an insightful, hilarious man. I would venture that I’ve learned more in his class than any other in my graduate program. The other man at the forefront of my mind is my favorite author. His novels are some of the most brilliant examples of prose I’ve read, and I wish I could claim the book I’m now reading as my own. His characters are deep, and his observations on culture are dead on (and again, quite funny). Oh, and he’s British – I love reading those guys.

Yes, their views are diametric to my own. That does create a degree of tension, but I also accept it as a challenge. Christ’s love is the best thing in my life, and I do wish the same on everyone I meet. So I wonder, how can I show that love to these people who are so convinced that He does not exist? How can I show them His work in my life? Am I relevant to those outside of Christian culture?

I suppose it’s more than something that appeals to me about atheists – let’s try somethings.

The title’s the best, most skeptical song lyric I could think of at this hour. Gimme a break. I don’t think heaven’s overrated.