Tying both the religion quiz and the bad platitude threads together: I grew up in a large, Catholic, highly literate family. We had tons of books we carted everywhere. I always went to Catholic schools except for Kindergarten and Senior year in highschool. I predate Vatican II by ten years. The library and church were the only places we were taken as a group.
So, I know tons of trivia about a lot of things and I don't even know where I learned it all. It was just there. I got 100% on the quiz, but I guessed on the last one.
My mother used to drive me batshit with the old "offer it up" if anything went wrong. Or "pray to St. Jude". Those were her answers to everything and her excuse for being an absentee-stay at home, Irish, alcoholic parent.
In my childhood, the big difference between Catholics and Protestants was the crucifix vs the cross. Catholics had more blood. I used to pass out in grade school every time we had Stations of the Cross.
I had a point but forgot it.
I've read that just adding some water via hose (or otherwise agitating it, but that was the example used) on a weekly basis will prevent mosquito larva. I'm not sure I believe that, but maybe it's true. In any case dunks work. and you might be able to get mosquito fish for free from your local mosquito abatement or vector control office.
Is that strength? Or just living as best you can with what you are dealt? Isn't that what we all try to do, no matter our circumstances?
That why I object to talking about a battle with cancer. It's not a battle. It's putting one foot in front of another.
offer it up to God.
"Let go, Let God" is a favorite between me and my brother.
You offer up your suffering to God in thanks for him sacrificing his son on the cross for our sins. And the priests were always willing to remind you just how horrible Jesus' suffering was, in gory detail!
It meant that you sucked it up and shut up. Nuns loved that phrase a lot, too.
I hate to interrupt, but:
Cincinnati Reds 2010 NL Central Champs!!! Come on postseason!!!
Platitudes:
When my mother was in a car accident several years back and wound up with permanent nerve damage to her rotator cuff, several people said to her "God must have been looking out for you," meaning that she was lucky to be alive. She always asked them WTF God was doing for the three seconds before the accident that he couldn't have prevented the guy who hit her from running the red light in the first place.
Cincinnati Reds 2010 NL Central Champs!!! Come on postseason!!!
Walkoff home run no less! Sit down St. Louis!
My aunt and I talked about just that. She had a short term terminal diag, she'd say she was dying quickly. But she wasn't dying of cancer; she was living with cancer until it killed her.
I grew up with the YA novels that were all battle against cancer! But for some of us, some like my aunt, the idea of living with until it could be chased out out or get the final say, appeals more. Because she didn't lose a battle. The other roommate just took precedence. It had nothing to do with her. Stupid ass mutating cells that don't pay attention to poison or pure will.
