Perception

I have been pondering a lot of things lately . . . and "perception" is really one of them.


I think, I'm like the seagull from the Little Mermaid movie, "This is this . . . and that is that." I get stuck in my head thinking, that I KNOW what I'm talking about when really I don't . . . I just have MY perception of it . . .


I guess we are all guilty of thinking "our way is the best way" or "our stuff is the best stuff" or "our beliefs are the best beliefs". I think sometimes it's hard to step outside of ourselves and see that the way with think, believe, live~ may work for us but it is not something that may work for everyone.


Tim grew up catholic . . . he says he is catholic. But he has not been in a church in years. I am not catholic . . . but I'm very spiritual. Although, as of late, I have been feeling like I would like to go to church . . . a fun, non denominational church where they build you up and help you to live a life with a closer relationship to God . . . When I bring it up to Tim, he says, "I'm Catholic. I'm not searching for anything different." But if you don't go to Church are you really catholic? Does God really care what church you go to? I bring this up, because Tim's brother called him yesterday to tell him to go to church . . . He said, "I had a dream about Mama, and she said for me to tell you to go to church." I think that is the "Catholic Guilt" or maybe it's the "Irish guilt" speaking. Does it matter what church you go to? In Tim's head and heart it matters, it's either the catholic church or no church at all . . . That's his perception or religion . . . For me, I have a different way of looking at it. And I'm fine going with him to the Catholic church every other week, as long as he is open to going to the other churches with me. Isn't it really about having a closer relationship with God, than it is about what "Building" you attend?? (Again, just my perception.)


I don't know, maybe that's a bad example.


Here is another one.


I belong to the most wonderful on line family . . . and lately there has been an issue . . . Supposedly, we are supposed to talk about Scrapbooking. But so many of us have been together for years and years, and have developed strong relationships . . . so we talk about everything . . . Well, there have been people "whining" that there is not enough scrapbooking talk . . . but they are also the people who don't post any scrapbooking talk . . . They simply get on line and look to see what "we" (The regular posters) have posted. They don't post things and ask questions, or make comments about scrapbooking. But then they want to say "Snarky" things. In my world, I see my on line family as people I can go to for whatever I need or want to talk about. In their world they want to only see Scrapbooking things. Perception. And in my abundant loveliness, I had to tell them to post something scrap related if that is what they wanted to see. There were a couple of people I know that had their feelings bruised over the snarky comments made about keeping the talk more Scrapbook related (you know who you are) as we feel this is our place, our family . . . and we should be able to talk about what ever we want. Ok, it's supposed to be scrapbook related by definition, but how many times can you say, "I am using the Glue Glider pro It works great." OR "I bought some new paper it's so pretty." if we were limited to only scrapbook talk, then we would never have really anything to talk about because you can only say those things so many times. The board would never move. But that's my perception of it. Maybe other people think differently.


I don't know . . . I guess what's I'm working through here is that it's fine to think what ever you want . . . you are entitled to that. And if it works for you, then by all means do it. But when you push your thoughts and beliefs on to someone else, that's where we run into problems. Just because you think one way, doesn't mean that it is necessarily right . . . it's just "Right for you".