Cat's Corner

In celebration of R.E.A.D. in America Day, tell us about what you're reading. How is reading important to you? What would you recommend to others?

Right now, I'm really not reading anything mind-blowing. I'm just rereading some old favorites that I checked out from the public library recently -- Tanith Lee's Paradys series, and Stephen King's Different Seasons, to be specific. (I'd forgotten how much fun the library can be.) However, I'm also always reading other things in addition to what my current cover-to-cover books are as well, like magazines, articles, informative stuff I dig up on the web, and other people's short stories or poetry.

As far as how important to me reading is? I don't just consider it important. I consider it essential -- especially if you happen to consider yourself to be a writer. You really need to be a regular reader of the type of material you enjoy writing. Reading other blogs is an important part of being a good blogger yourself. Absorbing a lot of the fantasy fiction that's already out there is important if you like to write fantasy fiction yourself. You get the picture. Reading a lot not only builds your vocabulary and grammatical awareness, but it helps writing your own material become second nature to you. The more you read, the easier writing will eventually become to you.

Plus, reading is honestly a lot of fun, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a proud, self-proclaimed nerd. It allows you to absorb a good story in a way that movies and television, great as they are, just can't. It's also like a work-out for your mind. Use it or lose it, as they say. I also find that reading makes for excellent stress relief at the end of the day as well, or sometimes even at the beginning of the day if I have time. It occupies the mind more thoroughly than a lot of activities do, allowing you to unwind more completely.

What would I recommend to others? I honestly think that there are at least some books out there that everyone ought to at least try to tackle during the course of their lifetime. The classics, for example. You know -- Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye, Dante's Divine Comedy, and others along those lines. I think it's important for book lovers to at least have an opinion about as many of the so-called "important books" as possible, even if that opinion is "God did that ever suck".

However, I also think it's important to read plenty of whatever floats your boat. If that's Shakespeare and Hemmingway, then great. If not? I find works by "popular" authors like Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, Danielle Steel, and J.K. Rowling all to be great reads as well. I have just as many books by authors like them on my shelf as I do classics, history books, or other things that are probably considered more intellectual. I don't believe in limiting myself in regards to my reading material in any way, and I don't think others should either. Read whatever moves you. It's all good, in my opinion.

Ever had one of those experiences where you start to question the accuracy of your own senses? Well, I had one of those yesterday. As you're probably aware, I've been well-immersed in Operation Becoming-A-Montana-Citizen lately. I'd already been to the DMV to update my ID and register to vote earlier in the week, since I've been playing with the idea of losing my "voting virginity" this year. Yesterday, I went down to the public library to sign up for a library card so that I can continue to be the ultimate book nerd when I'm not busy working.

After we finished selecting our books and wandered around for a while, we decided to sit down at one of the tables upstairs and do some light reading. Seth had just settled down with a stack of magazines, and I had just cracked open a Clark Gable biography I had decided to check out, when we started to smell this... smell. It smelled an awful like hot dogs and garlic or something, but we just couldn't put a finger on what it was exactly. All I know is I really thought it was food. Neither of us had eaten yet, so it wasn't long before our stomachs were growling and we were wondering who the a-hole was that brought their fast food into the library to taunt everyone.

Eventually we just couldn't stand it anymore, so we got up to make a trip back to the snack machines. In the process, we figured out where the odd, can't-put-my-finger-on-it smell was actually coming from. Do you know what it was? It was this homeless guy who probably hadn't showered in months that had decided to chill in the library as homeless guys sometimes do! Suddenly it all made sense. Somehow I had translated the smell of extreme b.o. into the smell of food and was actually salivating over it. That made me feel a bit weird to say the least. I guess that's what sinus problems will do for you!

On the brighter side, the librarian that checked my books out for me correctly identified Violet Baudelaire from Lemony Snicket on my t-shirt, which made me smile. I got it years ago when the movie came out, and it's one of my very favorite shirts ever, as I'm a huge Snicket fan. It has the stylized cartoony version of Violet from the book illustrations along with the slogan "first impressions are almost always entirely wrong". People always think it's a cool shirt, but no one has ever actually realized what it is before. Leave it to a librarian! This just proves my theory that reading people are the best people.

I think about the subject of getting older a lot. Aging is really interesting to me -- how we change and how we adapt to that change. Everyone seems to be different as far as how they take it.

When I was younger, I thought I would really hate getting older. I thought getting wrinkles, and possibly not being thought of as some physically perfect little nymphette anymore, would be the end of the world, and I don't really know why. It's not as if I ever actually liked the attention, or even thought of myself as a natural beauty. I always saw myself as having a great sense of style, but when it came to just... my natural features and figure, I've never actually liked any of it. I've always thought of myself as beautiful less because of what I had, and more because of what I could make of it if I tried.

I don't know what difference I ever thought a few wrinkles, or a little sag here or there, would really make as far as that was concerned. After all, you can get by on a great sense of style when you're 80 just as well as you can when you're 20. I guess I just didn't know any better than to just listen to what my elders and betters thought on the subject at the time -- that I was immeasurably lucky to still be so young and that it would suck balls to get older.

Now that I'm in my 30's though? I'm finding that the older I get, the less my ego is really wrapped up in how I look and the more I can appreciate the ways in which my age is starting to show. I won't go so far as to say that I no longer care how I look. However, I will say that my ideas of what's beautiful and why have changed a lot over the years.

I will also say that looks in general are nowhere near the top of my priority list anymore, and I feel that's really opened up my ability to accept and enjoy the aging process. I like that the older I get, the more seriously people take me, and I love that I actually am finally starting to get where I have some life experience to look back on. I'm excited about who I am and who I'm becoming. To be honest, I wouldn't have my 20's back for all the tea in China.

So I'm curious. How do all of you feel about getting older, especially when it comes to looking your age? If you're under 30, is it something you're afraid of? If you're over 30, is it something you find you're enjoying so far? And whatever your age, and however you feel, where do you think your attitude comes from? Tell me all about it.

Knowing beforehand that you wouldn't fail, what would you attempt to do?

I really like this question, so I decided to sit here and try to think of a good answer for it, but I can't. If you've been reading me a while, you know that pretty much the one thing I truly consider myself to be afraid of is failure, yet although I can think of plenty of instances where I was afraid I would fail at something because it was just that important to me, I can't actually recall a time when fear of failure actually stopped me from eventually trying to do it anyway. It may take me a while to build up the nerve, but I always try sooner or later.

Maybe I really am the stubborn ass my birth chart says I am, or maybe my over-sized ego really does inwardly insist that I'm entitled to absolutely anything in life that I want, so long as I'm willing to earn it. All I know is that whatever the reason, I've at least attempted to make every dream I've ever had into a reality at some point in my lifetime, and that even where things didn't work out as planned, I have yet to actually give up trying altogether.

I'm sure it probably helps that I have a real listening problem when it comes to criticism from other people. I may consider it if it comes from someone that actually knows what they're talking about, but other people's criticism has never lowered my own opinion of myself or stopped me from trying to achieve goals that are important to me. I never have, and never will, let anyone or anything stand in the way of being the person I want to be, so the day I actually learn to take "no" for an answer is pretty much the day I die.

The older I get, the more I think failure is a relative term. It probably means something different to everyone, but after giving it some thought, this is what it really means to me. In my opinion, the only true failure is in either not trying at all, or in giving up. There's always another avenue to try or another option yet to consider, so when it really matters -- at least if you subscribe to the Shannon Hilson School of Thought -- failure really is optional.

Meh... let's see how many unfriendings I get after this hot mess. I'm going to remain optimistic and hope that you're all too mature to ditch me solely on the basis of my opinion about something. Don't you go disappointing me now.

Would you do meth if it was legalized?
Does the person that wrote this question have any idea what meth actually does to a person? Well, let me tell you that I do, and I have no wish whatsoever to have my life turn into a flaming hot ball of stink the way it would if I got started on meth. The fact that meth is illegal is only one of a million reasons why I don't do it. I like having a healthy brain, not to mention all of my teeth. Thanks but no thanks. Moving on.

Abortion: for or against?
I assume that what this question is really asking is whether or not I am pro-choice, and if that's the case, then yes, I am. I whole-heartedly believe that a woman has the right to choose for herself what goes on in her own body. However, I would never presume to tell another woman that she should or shouldn't have an abortion. It's up to her to decide whether or not that's right and proper from where she sits.

Would our country fall with a woman President?
This is an odd question that I'm not sure how to answer. I certainly feel that a female president has the potential to be every bit as capable as a male president. However, I am still uncertain as to whether or not every American is ready for that. I think it's possible that it would cause issues that have little to do with how good of a leader she actually is. I hope I'm wrong about that, but some days I'm not so sure.

Do you believe in the death penalty?
Absolutely. There are some acts a human being can commit that completely nullify their right to go on living in my opinion. That's really all I have to say about that.

Do you wish marijuana would be legalized already?
Although I don't smoke pot or have any wish to, I personally don't see any reason why it shouldn't be legalized. I mean... alcohol is legal and that can do it's fair share of damage. I don't feel pot is any more harmful than that is, to be honest.

Are you for or against premarital sex?
I'm personally for it, but as with the abortion issue, I would never presume to tell someone else that this is the way they should do things or that they're wrong for thinking otherwise. Just speaking for myself though, I feel that the sexual side of a relationship is very important. Although I definitely see it as something that should be taken seriously and treated with the utmost responsibility, I also see it as a step that should be taken long before marriage is being discussed. I also personally feel that couples should live together before being married, but like I said... I really am not trying to tell other people how to run their lives. I'm really only able to speak for myself.

Do you believe in God?
Well, I'm an agnostic. That pretty much means that I don't see the existence of God as something that can be either proven or debunked. I always tell people that I believe in possibilities. Do I believe it's possible that there was some kind of intelligent design or plan in place as far as the creation of the universe? Yes, I think that's likely. I see too much order and precision in the world at large to be able to feel otherwise. But do I believe in God? Like... a being that's up in the sky paying attention to what I do and deciding my ultimate fate based on whether or not I correctly follow a list of rules? No, I do not.

Do you think same sex marriage should be legalized?
Absolutely. I didn't even have to think about my answer to this question. Gay couples deserve every right and consideration that straight couples have... period. I don't believe in discrimination based on sexual orientation any more than I believe in racial, gender, or age discrimination, and to be honest, I'm actually shocked that in this day and age this is still such a big, controversial issue.

Do you think its wrong that so many immigrants are moving to the US?
I honestly have no problem with immigrants moving into the U.S. Mi casa es su casa, you know? However, I do have a problem with people not bothering to become legal and assimilate themselves into this culture. If you want to be an American, then be an American. I'm not saying you should give up your traditions or become someone completely different, but do what you need to do. Learn the language. Work and earn your living the same as the rest of us do. Pay taxes. Do things legitimately. I would expect no less of myself if I decided to move to some other country.

A 12 year old girl has a baby..should she keep it?
This is a complicated question that depends on a lot of factors. Does she have a proper support system in her family that can help her raise this child properly? Under what circumstances was this child conceived? Is she somehow able to give the child everything it needs to live the healthy, secure, happy life it deserves? If not, then I personally think she should give up the baby. I feel it's best for the baby, and it's best for her. Although there are young mothers that are somehow able to beat the odds and become good parents, I really have my beefs with young girls who choose to have and keep babies, but I'm not even going to get into that right now.

Should the alcohol age be lowered to 18?
Yes, I actually think it should. Either that, or the legal age for everything else associated with adulthood should be raised to 21. To me, it makes no sense that someone is old enough to take responsibility for themselves in every other way but they're not allowed to have a beer or a glass of wine if they want to.

Should the war in Iraq be called off?
It probably should have been a long time ago if we're really going to pick at that Iraqi war scab, don't you think? I'm honestly a bit flabbergasted that it's still going on. I'm not even really sure I know what it's all about anymore, but then I'm an admitted idiot when it comes to pretty much anything to do with politics or war.

Do you believe in spanking your children?
I do, actually. When I did something wrong, I got spanked and I'm hardly damaged because of it. In fact, I think I may actually be better for it. If I had kids, or were ever planning on having any, then I would have no problem spanking them. However, once again, that's a decision every parent should make for themselves.

Would you burn an American flag for a million dollars?
OK... here's another really weird question. Do I think that we all should show some kind of loyalty to the country we live in whether or not we stand behind everything to do with it? Yes, I definitely do. However, I personally don't put much store in symbols. I get that what the American flag represents is worth a lot and certainly something to be respected, but a flag itself is really nothing but a piece of cloth to me. It's hard for me to see the burning of an object as being the same as spitting on everything to do with America. It's just not how my mind works. Whether or not I would actually burn a flag for a million dollars myself is a complicated one. Like I said, it's an object to me and a million dollars is a lot of money. However, I'd be worried about the criminal and social consequences of the act, so for that reason I would have to say no. I'd love to be a millionaire, but that's definitely not how I want it to happen.

A mother is declared innocent after murdering her 5 children in a temporary insanity case. What do you think?
Again... I need a lot more information. I would really have to be sitting on that jury and hearing that whole case down to every last scrap of evidence. I will assume for the sake of argument that I'm supposed to see this as a huge failing in our justice system, meaning that it was 100% clear she wasn't actually sick or insane, yet she got off anyway and is roaming around free instead of locked up in a mental hospital somewhere. In that case, what little faith I actually have left in our justice system would be completely gone. I'd be enraged and sickened, to say the least.

Are you afraid others will judge you from reading some of your answers?
I'm not actually someone who's afraid of being judged. I have faced a lot of judgment at the hands of others in my life, but it's never stopped me from owning my own opinions and stances on certain issues. Everything I think and feel is for a reason, and I am ashamed of very little in my life. I do sometimes worry that people will misunderstand me, and being misunderstood is something I do truly dislike, but hey... that's life. Let's just say it doesn't exactly keep me up at night.

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This piece is inspired by a Kabbalah concept I was reading about the other day called the bread of shame. Although it appears to be up for interpretation as far as what exactly bread of shame is and is not from a religious standpoint, this is the concept as I understand it and apply it to my own life and experiences.

Bread of shame refers to rewards or recognition in life that someone did not earn through their own hard work and perseverance, meaning that they are rewards unable to bring true satisfaction. If a person continually "eats the bread of shame" instead of earning their own way through the world in one way or another, they will become dejected and stagnant, a mere shadow of the person they could be, both to themselves and to the world around them.