When my parents came up for Isaiah's baptism, they kept remarking what a great town Logan is. And it is, where else can you find that small quaint feel with lots to keep you entertained? Okay, okay maybe Cedar, but still I doubt they have the variety that we have.
Not only do we have an opera house, with pretty high class performers coming through (thank you Michael Ballam) but we also have the demolition derby! I've never been to one, and I don't know who of you has, but I've been itching to go all summer to try it out. First off, the idea of being able to crash into other people sounds like fun. Don't you think bumper cars are totally insufficient? Well the last one of the summer was Saturday and I decided to take Isaiah. It was quite the experience.Very fun and very loud. It has sort of a Roman Gladiator feel, only they're in cars and no one dies - well I guess the cars do, and that's pretty cool to watch. Still, I'd say one a life time is probably enough.
In other news I was reading an article in Huff Post (really more of a book promotion) talking about women and depression. Apparently, since they've been measuring such things, womens' happiness has been going down every year for the last thirty years or so.
Now, as I continue to learn about research and stats in school, I'm aware that these numbers could be played with a bit to create a picture that isn't there - probably so you'll buy his book. But I'll put aside my inner stats cynic and just play with, "well what if this is true?" Or maybe the bigger question, "why is this true?" My first guess would be to blame feminism, specifically femnazisism. They continue to tell women you are not satisfied because you are still not equal. That argument seems weak, since women are closer to equality than ever before in the professional world so wouldn't their happiness have gone up. Others would say because they have gone away from the traditional roles that once brought them happiness. And though it seems quite plausible, I know so many women who continue to struggle with happiness even when they do stay home. Shelly's guess is that it is unrealistic expectations. Psychobabble has definitely contributed to this conundrum.
As they scrub toilets they think, am I happy, is this fulfilling? Or maybe they feel the pressure that if they don't raise their children just so their kids will end up in community colleges and less active in the church. There is just so much pressure I think that we need to get rid of - the, "if I don't clean under the fridge what will my neighbors think of me" kind of mentality. Okay, why is your neighbor looking under your fridge and since they're down there why don't they just clean it?
Anyways, I do think many women are too hard on themselves, which often stems from feeling unlovable. They should always remember they are of value, and hence lovable, no matter what they do or don't do. Real value and happiness for both men and women comes from forgetting yourself and loving others - not worrying about what the neighbors think or even whether or not your children love you (can you see the selfish motives behind both?). In the end it is more important that you love them. That's when you'll feel worthy of love, ie. lovable, and happiness will naturally follow.
