A little view into my head

Okay, well this is the first time I have put myself out there like this, but hey-- if you read this you care--so that's good. Anyway, I am going to give you the rough (telling you--rough) draft of part of one of my papers. I have to write this paper about my values and how I am going to intergrate them into my practice as a counselor. So enjoy, leave comments if you have suggestions or thoughts... have fun.

Value One: Independence and Autonomy
As this first semester of attending graduate school to become a school counselor has gone by I have thought quite a bit about the values I hold dear and how I can apply them to my faith as well as to my future career. One of the values I have wrestled with the most, as it may be the most important to me, is my value of autonomy. Autonomy to me means that each individual is free to choose how he or she lives his or her life. It is In the past I thought this value was contradictory to Christian faith in that Christians live the “right” way while others do not. I am finding that my openness to others’ experiences may not be such a hindrance to my faith, however, and in fact it is possibly one of the most important values I can hold to be a good counselor.
Because of my value of autonomy I have always had a hard time understanding the verse John 14:6 in the Bible where Jesus states, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me” (New International Version). It is hard for me to comprehend that a devoted Hindu in India could end up in hell while I go to heaven because I was blessed to have easy cultural access to the “true” way to Christ. As I have grown in my faith, however, I have learned that part of my value of autonomy comes from the understanding that I don’t have to fully comprehend how Christ can be the only way. I am thankful that I don’t have to because my God is bigger than my view of the world and understanding of it.
I place a high amount of value on people making their own informed decisions, and I don’t believe it is my place to judge other’s beliefs and behaviors as right or wrong. This does not mean I am a relativist, however. I believe that there is truth and that Jesus supplies that truth. Instead of trying to convince others to agree with my religion or see things the way I do, I like to point to the love and truth of Christ wherever I see it. In his book, Velvet Elvis, Rob Bell (2005) describes an outlook on faith in Christ that is very similar to mine:
I don’t follow Jesus because I think Christianity is the best religion. I follow Jesus because He leads me into ultimate reality. He teaches me to live in tune with how reality is. When Jesus said ‘No one comes to the Father except through me,’ he was saying that His way, His words, His life is our connection to how things truly are at the deepest levels of existence (p. 83).
As a counselor I will come across people with very different backgrounds and beliefs than my own. It will be my ethical duty to treat all people with dignity and not push my own culture or values onto them. The American Counseling Association ethics codes states, “Counselors are aware of their own values, attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, and avoid imposing values that are inconsistent with counseling goals. Counselors respect diversity of clients, trainees, and research participants” (A.4.b., 2005). My value of autonomy relates closely with what I am to do as an ethical counselor in respecting differences.

Then I go into dilemmas I may come across as a counselor and how I will resolve them, a little boring so I cut it out.
BTW: I think Rob Bell is awesome.

Hallow-craziness

Last night was the ever-famous Springfield Halloween Pub Crawl. Thousands of people come down for this thing, pay 15$, and get into all the bars downtown for free. Basically though they stand in line freezing their butts off. For the last four years Jeff and I have dressed up in costume and passed out cookies to the drunk college folk standing in lines... this year however, we did not. Well, we sort of did... This weekend was the first Skinny Improv Improv festival so Jeff had shows all last night and his costume wasn't ready... I won't spoil what it is b/c he's going to wear it this afternoon, but seriously, its funny.

So, instead of our usual shenanigans, Jeff went around doing man-on-the-street interviews. Nate Black, cameraman extraordinarie, went along, as well as Dan Clair, Jeff's co-host on the Mystery Hour. I tagged along to get in some good laughs. I can't tell you how insane these people are for this pub crawl. Its like Mardi-Gras down there. Most of the girls are dressed as slutty-something or others. Slutty Nurse, Slutty Cowgirl, Slutty Maid, Slutty Bunny, Playboy Bunny, Slutty Bee, Slutty Bar-Maid, Slutty Grecian woman, Slutty Cop, Slutty Prisoner, and Slutty Referee. Its sorta disgusting, b/c by the end of the night you see butt-cracks, tongs, and nipples b/c the girls are too drunk to hold it together. My favorite was the girl being interviewed who I told had her breast showing and on camera she said, "Its all good," while her less intoxicated friend held her bunny bustier up to cover her nipple. Hmmmm, she could be tied, however, with the Slutty Indian who on camera acted as if she was giving my husband a blow job while she was showing the camera her flesh-colored underwear. Lets just say its a good thing that I have a sense of humor and am pretty un-embarrassed, most wives would have thrown a conniption fit.

The other crazy point of the evening was running into yellow-helmet insane old man who walked up to Dan and I starting a conversation about how crazy all these people are and just couldn't let it go. Seizing the opportunity to talk to a true character, Jeff asked the guy to be interviewed. He started rambling on about the different instruments he plays, highlighting the fact that he is the best guitar player in the US, and that he especially likes to play the concertina (if you don't know what that is you should look it up--my uncle has one and breaks it out for special holidays to make my mom laugh). I started mentioning to Dan that this man is probably crazy, but Dan just thought he was drunk. Oh-no, my intuition proved to be right. At the end of his 10-minute ramblings the man stated "You don't care about music. No one here cares about their music. These college kids don't care about their music." We all thought the guy was going to haul off and punch Jeff by the end of it, so we quickly scurried back to the Skinny. Its gonna make for some good Mystery Hour footage, though.

All in all, every year I get done with the pub crawl wanting to wipe the sleaze and debauchery out of my head that I have witnessed. Jeff just likes to witness drunken-Hallow-Craziness and characters dressed up as, well, characters.

One of my favorite costume ideas from the evening came from a conversation with Nichole Chilton, who gets just as sick of the slutty-something-or-others on Halloween. She told me she wants to dress up next year as a "Slutty Puritan," who shows only her wrists. Me Likey.

Sammy the Dog

My dog Sam has decided to capture his rompings and going-abouts in the form of a blog. You should go read it: www.corgilicious.blogspot.com. He's a very talented writer.

fall is here

Oh man do I love the first signs of fall-- cooler, shorter days, football on TV, Halloween costumes being discuessed... But the number one thing I love about fall? The clothes! Above are pics from Anthropolgie, Urban Outfitters, and Target (Alice Temperly collection--has anyone actually SEEN that petals dress at their Target yet?) that have inspired me this season. Every year I look forward to more layers and more choices with clothing. This year I have decided I want to wear funky tights (I have on bright red ones today) and jumpers or dresses, maybe even paired with boots. I love the options, plus I hate non-denim pants for work... Jeff asked me this morning while I was getting in the shower if we could go shopping together this Saturday for him for new jeans and a coat---yey!
Another sign of fall-- MIDTERMS! Yikes. I have one tonight in my Ethics class and am a bit nervous. I have been studying for four nights straight though so I should be okay. Honestly, I love being in school. I feel so smart and purposeful. Its nice to have future goals and dreams and be working towards them.
Lets see, what else to update on? (as if anyone reads this anymore) My cousin, Taylore, is coming into town this weekend. She lives in KC and could use a break from her high school drama. I'm excited to spend some time with her. Love that girl.
And the last sign of fall I love? Good TV shows. Right now I am addicted to Heros and am watching last season on the internet. If only LOST and 24 were on though. sigh.
BLAH BLAH BLAH, sorry to blab. much love,
M

Music

So I really love Music... wanted you to know that.
Tomorrow night (Wednesday October 17th) Mute Math, one of my favorite bands, with one of my favorite people in it, will be on Conan O'Brian. Set your Tivos!

Owls

I still love owls. I love love love them. There is something about all the many ways they can be drawn that makes me love them even more.
Saw this today on Poppytalk handmade (by Jodie Hurt) and fell in love.

Cliques

This past week I have been reading Queen Bees and Wannabees by Rosalind Weisman... a great book about "girl world" and teen and pre-teen bullying. (Of course this is a book review I have to do for a class, too). Girl bullying has always been a topic of great interest to me b/c my high school experience was full of the ins and outs of cliques. I always felt on the outside of the clique but never really fell out completely--i dated boys to avoid always being tied to our "queen bee" and the whole pecking order of things. I had times where I was called all sorts of names, wasn't invited to parties, was teased relentlesly, and on the flip side-- teased others and bullied others who weren't part of my clique. Anyway, its been fun reading this book and remembering just how much I remember from those days and how it shaped a lot of how I saw the world (and still see it).
that is my insight for the day.

fuggity fug fug

Sometimes when I am feeling particularly cynical I like to go to www.gofugyourself.com and read interesting tidbits about bad-fashion choices of celebrities. I think I have Jannah or Mara to thank for introducing me to this world. While I was on that website last night I came across an article about Brittney Spears and how we should all just throw our hands up in the air and stop caring about her train-wreck of a life. I am going to post this below... mostly because i have been in Iowa City this weekend and don't have much interesting stuff to say outside of THE CUBS LOST and IOWA LOST--again. (People around here are obsessed with both--we managed to ditch most of a wedding reception and gather around a smoky bar tv to watch both). Enjoy--- its sad and funny.



10/ 4/07
Daily Intelligencer NY Magazine
"It's Time to Put Britney Behind Us"


Who is that girl? Don't ask us.

In a celebrity gossip-feeding culture that thrives on people’s love of soap operas and Schadenfreude, Britney Spears’s myriad, poorly dressed tragedies generally make bloggers weep with glee. But this week, Brit’s latest downward spiral has ventured into tragic territory: She’s lost custody of her kids and, according to OK! magazine, she’s on suicide watch. Though our fascination with the macabre justifies obsessing and/or cackling about Brit’s missteps (see VMAs), these latest developments have inspired a different kind of reaction: pity. Britney’s problems have crossed over into the sincerely unfunny zone, and it’s time for us to look away. For good.

We never thought we'd say that. We love a juicy celebrity story, and we’ve been barely closeted Britney fans since the olden days of thousand-crunch abs and wrangled snakes. Her sweet but dim personality made us willing to believe her life would eventually work out for the best. When she hooked up with K-Fed, we figured she was rebelling; when she married him, we just knew she'd realize the error of her ways, and when she finally divorced the sleazebag, we assumed she'd quit partying after a week or so and get cranking on the mother of all comebacks. When that got derailed by rehab and head-shaving, we said, "Well … Listen, her hair was fried. This is just a fresh start! It was probably a GOOD idea."

Clearly, we had high hopes for the future — there’s no longer any joy to be had in charting the ups and downs of Spears’s fortunes. Running off and marrying a guy who appeared in You Got Served makes for delicious watercooler gossip. But being declared an unfit mother? That's downright depressing, especially since Britney's unsettling response was handing over the kids like it was just an errand, then stopping at a tanning salon before hitting the bars. Ergo, instead of gleefully speculating which dude Britney is going to elope with next, we're left wincing. Rather than youthful rebellion, her behavior looks a whole lot like mental illness, denial, and ignorance baked into one giant casserole of catastrophe, and deriving any fun from that just leaves a bad taste in our mouth.

Which is why we’ve had our fill of the tabloid coverage — from US Weekly’s horrific “Mommy’s Crying!” headline to the supposedly less sensationalistic Entertainment Weekly trotting out a tacky cover that plastered the words "Oh, The Horror!" over a shot of Britney’s untoned tummy. We’re just over it. Prolonged mental breakdowns and rumors of child-abuse aren’t our idea of entertainment, especially not from the tabloids we rely on for mindless amusement.

If we’ve learned anything from the fiasco that is Britney’s life, it’s that 24-hour access to celebrities isn't all it’s cracked up to be. Frankly, there are some things we’d just rather not know. —The Fug Girls

handmade heaven!

I MUST inform the masses---a new handmade website to BUY things has appeared--- Poppytalk handmade (www.poppytalkhandmade.com). I found out about it through a fellow designer/seamstress Sam from Homegrown Skinny who has posted stuff about it regularly this week on her blog. I love the layout of this because the designers are so easy to see and get to... and, ahem, they are AMAIzING and not too expensive. There is even a section for vintage sellers! You must go check it out. (Especially if you're my friend and want to know what to get me for Christmas this year.)


unicorn ring by handmadejulz (20$)


book remarks by sherwood press (2.50$)



pillow by the little stich (25$)



laptop bag by track and field (45$)



print by swallowfield (18$)



print by susan schwake (50$)



amazing earrings from julie lake (42$)