America At Home

One of my favorite books, both as a spiritual journey story, and as a stunning collection of photographs is "From Alice to Ocean". It is the true story of a woman, Robyn Davidson, deciding to cross Australia by herself, with her dog and four camels. The inner journey of child-like joy and exuberance at the beginning of the story, turning into wondering, suffering and confusion until exhaustion and gratitude finally enter her rebellious heart and allow her to discover a quiet, joyful peace by the time she reaches the ocean, is one of the ways the fundamental story of Here You Are can play itself out in a person's life. Her journey is captured in the photographs of well know photographer Rick Smolan.

So when I came across Rick Smolan and his wife Jennifer Erwitt's latest book - America At Home, I was naturally curious. At first glance America At Home is a wonderful collection of both stunning and wholesome photographs of American households and their inhabitants. Sponsored by IKEA - my children's favorite furniture company - America At Home turns out to have more depth than you would expect. Amusing, insightful and contemplative reflections are offered on the idea of what Home means to us by an impressive number of contributing writers who include famous author, Amy Tan, Matt Groening, creator of the Simpsons, and Dominique Browning, the former editor of House and Garden and other writers, who all reflect on our relationship to what we call Home.

The people in the occasional photographs of gay couples look as mundane, stressed out or happy as the rest of the domestic dwellers running after their children and pets, helping to dispel the stereotypical notion of strangeness associated with this lifestyle that doesn't look any different from anyone else's. If you are familiar with Smolan and Erwitt's Day of the Life series books, you know - we are all a bit strange. The stranger we all are, or try to be, the more we are the same - we're just Americans!

America At Home informs us about what's important to us. Kids, pets and spending money, it seems. Marriage, not so much. 35% of our children live in single or no parent homes, and even though 62% of us don't think money can buy happiness we spend 41 billion more than we earn on whatever it does buy. Most likely IKEA furniture. I know that is what my children spend a lot of their money on. The rest must be going for pets at 41 billion a year, as well as Netflix to watch the hard working celebrities who apparently live an average of 13 years less than us couch potatoes.

Since 85% of us do no exercise of any kind, you'll be surprised how many billions of dollars we spend each year on health clubs. Many more such statistics add to the overall impression of this fascinating book that will have you find yourself starting many "Did you know..." conversations, and leaving it on your coffee table for a conversation piece. This will be especially impressive if you get the custom cover jacket you can order featuring your very own - to quote Matt Groening - "kinda functional and kinda loopy" family!

Dr Laura Schlessinger and Homosexuality

I have previously written about Dr Laura Schlessinger and found an opposing view on her you can check out here.

It is true that I have to turn off the show once my kids are in the car because of the aggressive language. She is the Simon Cowell of advice gurus and can be quite harsh. She isn't always right, and she isn't often wrong.

Her program is successful because most of the time her advice works for the people who call her. That to me is always something nice to listen to - when a caller is truly helped and set on a more successful path with their problem. Most of the time she is simply dealing with pettiness and self-pity. Once in a while a really lost soul calls in and she brings them back to life. Sometimes being harsh is not wrong, maybe even wise. Once in a while she crucifies people who you just hope will be OK afterwards. It used to happen more often in the past than nowadays.

People feel that they are listening in on a private conversation and can learn from others' mistakes. Even the callers feel more private talking in front of 20 million radio listeners, than to someone else in their lives in person.

Her main intention is to help children. Children are the victims, whether you want to call the adults who make their lives miserable "stupid", like Dr Laura, or "struggling with difficult issues" as a trained psychologist. There are too many adults and children who call in to report how following her advice has drastically changed their lives for the better, to dismiss her just because of her opinion regarding homosexuals or because of her offensive language. Taken with a grain of salt she has plenty to contribute. Just like one has to take homosexuals with a grain of salt. Not all homosexuals are all sweet and wonderful. God bless the ones who are raising children well, Hopefully their children do not have to hear what Dr. Laura has to say about their parents.

Last not least - the viewpoint that there is something wrong with homosexuality does not find much expression in the media. It is the "forbidden" opinion. Just like many decades ago, the idea that homosexuality is perfectly fine, was the "forbidden" opinion . That is why right wing radio and television are making millions and millions of dollars. The pendulum keeps swinging back and forth as it has done for endless ages. Good businessmen always know when and where to catch it, and exploit the people who keep fighting over the various issues.

Homosexuality is as old as the earth, and so is sex in general. Is a lot of sexual activity on both the heterosexual and homosexual side quite perverted these days? For sure. It always amuses me when homosexuality is singled out when it comes to promiscuity, prostitution, abuse, molestation, rape and sodomy, or any other extreme and uncomfortable ideas about what people do to each other. I see plenty of that in heterosexual circles.

When some animals live in overpopulated cages they start behaving homosexually, so it may just be a way of the earth to do a little population control. Throw AIDS into the mix and nature reduces the burden on our earth quite effectively while scientist grow babies in tubes. Homosexuality on one side, and what Dr Laura represents on the other - are two opposite forces which create and sustain each other. Neither side will ever be eliminated no matter how loud either side protests.

Each individual needs to quietly check within their own heart to know what is right for them in their life, and then live this - even if they have to end up being crucified.