[UUPoly-L] To finish
Hi everyone again.
This is Michael Paprocki once more.
In the UUPoly-L Digest Vol 49, Issue 19, the first part of my introduction to the group was kindly printed.
I stopped before finishing it because I was starting to have trouble concentrating.
I have to admit that I was surprised that no one even said "hi."
But then re-reading what I wrote - I didn't even say it was my introduction, lol.
So hello - I am new to the group/list.
Here is a little bit (more) about me.
I made quite a few typos in my first part. I will try to do better today.
[One I particularly want to correct however, is the following;
Since then, a few different phrases/rationales are the way I think I best explain polyamory.
"If I were married and loved my wife deeply, and she told me that she loved another man, but still loved me,
there is no way I would want to take that away from her."
(There were three typos.)]
Add that I think it would be cool to get to know my lover's other lovers.
It would add to my experience of my loved one as well.
Okay - to move on...
I told you I was Catholic when I was young.
I was also and alter boy (and a good one I may add [other alter boys wanted to serve with me because I actually knew the Latin prayers, lol]).
I also was "scrupulous" as a child. I suffered a great deal because of it. I needed counseling.
I went through the Second Vatican Council. I think the Catholic church actually moved forward a bit. I also am of the opinion that they have backslid a bit again too .
The UU principle I find most meaningful (and which is the reason I am a UU today) is number 4. - that "We promote and affirm each person's free and responsible search for truth and meaning."
It seems to me that the other six principles come from that search.
I am proud to be "a seeker." One who allows others to seek as well.
My favorite place to eat is at the Subway.
I go there at least once a day, with my best friend, and have breakfast.
I once went on the Subway diet and lost a lot of weight doing so.
Three vegie delights per day will do that for you.
I get script for my fellowship for Subway, $100 at a time. They give 3%.
My favorite sandwich is the tuna, and I get the foot long for $5 when I'm hungry.
They know me well enough there at my favorite Subway store that they give me free soda.
Vices of mine are custard filled chocolate covered long-johns, and A&W root beer floats.
I drive a '97 Geo Metro when it's running, so my environmental conscience is clean.
Someone broke off the passenger side rear view mirror and the antenna, and the front license plate doesn't stay on, but it still works, and so I still drive it.
You may have guessed that I am dirt poor, and you would have been correct.
I live on less than $10,000 a year and section 8 rental assistance.
My favorite saying is Desiderata.
I think it is beautiful and wise.
The part most meaningful to me as of late is the advice to "gracefully surrender the things of youth."
I also sometimes struggle with the part thats says that "No less than the trees and the stars, you [I] have a right to be here."
I told you that I struggle with depression and anxiety.
I have been doing pretty well lately though, despite some pretty severe life challenges.
I don't know if the medications are finally working, if it's because I received ECT about a month ago, or if it's because I now have a reason to live for the time being.
My niece Bonnie is staying with me one night per week so she doesn't have to drive so much to go to UWGB.
Contributing to the growth and future of someone, even though in a small way, is extremely meaningful and rewarding.
... . . . . . .
I just asked Bonnie what I should say about myself.
She told me I should say that I was a math genious and that I liked quantum mechanics.
For those of you that ARE math geiouses or understand quantum mechanics - I'm thinking her suggestions say more about her perception of me than they do about reality.
Though I do enjoy it when I can resolve one of her math inquires, and I am fascinated by quantum mechanics, I am in fact an expert at neither.
And though I began my college career in the sciences and math, my degree is in Human Development, with a minor in psychology.
Bonnie also told me to tell something interesting about myself and something I am interested in.
Along those lines, you might find it interesting that I was number one in my class in high school and my two year extention campus (that was the result of hard hork - not natural ability), that until about 20 y/o, I was so "Catholic" that I thought enjoying looking at a pretty girl would send me straight to hell (which both gave me time to study - which lead to my being number one, as well as sent me to hell a few times over), that I worked in a day care center for two years when I was in college and I still feel it was one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences of my lifetime (children are beautiful), that for five years in my life I exclusively rode a bicycle to get around - all year round (you CAN bike in snow and on ice - and when you are young you get up after you fall [worse is brobably torrential rain]), and that for a while I roofed barns in the Madison area (I could walk a 16 foot 4x4 without holding on to anything [I can't do anything like that now, and wouldn't try to].
Now - something I am interseted in.
This is more difficult.
I some ways, especially when I am depressed, I am not interested in much at all.
I another sense, and especially when I am not depressed or stressed-out, I LOVE to learn, and just about anything.
The one exception that comes to mind readily is card games.
I don't have a drive to learn card games.
But most other things I find interesting and want to learn as much as I can about.
This pretty much holds true for things from Relativity and Quantum Mechanics to the types of infant diapers available today and how well each one works (chuckle).
So - my dream job would be to teach young children (when I grow up), or maybe just to be a parent.
I don't have the credentials for the first, and I'm too old for the second.
So I guess I'll have to settle for second best - being the best "partner" I can be.
Well - I guess that's more than enough about me.
Plus I'm going dry wrt thing to say.
So I will close now - and just say:
That if anyone wants to write to me outside of the "list," my e-mail address is msppbs@itol.com and my phone number is
(920) 435-6720.
Thank you for reading about me and have a great day.
Bye now.
Michael
About that article in the NYT, and -j's comment, and Catherine's comment:
I think we are missing the point.
Being outraged at, or even seeing the humor in, this sexuality researcher's comment, though a good catharis, isn't really very productive.
To be learned is just how deeply monogamy is ingrained in the collective unconscious.
It's the "one man and one woman" thing again.
Only it's as though the "one and one" part is even more assumed than the "man and woman" part.
And there are some good reasons for that. There must be.
Polyarmory after all takes a lot of time and energy as we practice it today.
Plus ...
On a personal level - we need to understand where this is coming from.
On a societal level - we need to educate (both intellectually and emotionally).
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