I'm moving!

To a different blog site

First of all, I am no longer 24 and so the title is a bit of a lie (I really didn't think the blog would last until I was 25).

Secondly, my interests have shifts and so have my writing inspirations.

I don't see my identity as "pro-life" anymore. Of course I am still passionately pro-life, but it is so much more than that. My ideas on life and how to live it have changed. I identify even more with my Catholic faith and how to live in it by understanding Theology of the Body and being authentically female (some may call that New Feminism). So I have decided to write about how my days are effortlessly complicated as I try to follow my faith and my heart to live out my calling.

So if that sounds interesting at all, feel free to follow me over at www.effortlesslycomplicated.blogspot.com since this will be my last post here.

Friday Reflection

It's been an interesting week. I dropped my husband off at the airport on Monday and won't see him until Sunday. I have been busy (if not paid) every day this week and I have felt pretty good. All those things individually don't seem amazing but put it together and I'm shocked:

I managed to eat pretty healthy, although I think I forgot how to cook for one because there are tons of leftovers in the fridge and I think I'm going to be forced to throw some out :-(

I truly enjoyed my time helping at the pregnancy center and giving the director a better system for organizing/keeping track of important documents

I made it through the last couple days even though my husband was not around to tell me to take medicine, go for a walk, don't eat chocolate, etc. to keep my mind off the pain. This month it just wasn't there - I mean dull ache but I don't even know if I can count that. It may not be as fun as one day saying I'm pregnant and don't have to think about cramps (lots of other things instead), but it is comforting to know I have a routine filled with workouts, vitamins, and more that makes my life more bearable. And even more excited to know I found a natural way to deal with it that didn't involve lots of artificial hormones - yay!

I'm also excited for summer to come! Have a great weekend everyone

truly pro-life

There is nothing more exciting than being open to life and where it leads you. Today it led me to the priviledge of watching my 10 wk old neighbor all day while her mom had to go back to work. Her mom is a school teacher and has different people watching her each day for the 14 days she was required to work, then she gets to be home for the summer.

Well we had a great morning so I thought we would go out somewhere and boy is it exciting getting all the attention a newborn draws! Everyone comes up and smiles and the world is a nicer and happier place. That is all the argument or experience I need to be pro-life. These babies are our future, and even if we are not their mothers, we have a responsibility to take care of them and the world around them. Maybe it is for this reason that I try to stay out of the political and look more at the social aspects of being pro-life. What are people thinking and why? How can we show what great blessings children are and how much the world misses the ones that were taken?

I guess today I just need to share a smile and time with a precious little girl. Who knows what tomorrow will bring.

Finally...a decision

It is so good to know I made a decision about something. I didn't realize how much it had been draining me until after I made an action plan and stuck with it. I am re-energized and actually looking forward to the summer when I'll have too much time off. I found something I am excited to do in those slow weeks which fits my passions and the causes I want to help succeed. Are you ready for it?

I'm organizing.

Yes, that is right. I have talked about my organizing hobby before and I watched Oprah last week (something I never do but won't go into why - too long/controversial) because Peter Walsh was on it. What? He doesn't have the name recognition of Tom Cruise or Julia Roberts? Well he does in my book because he is my favorite professional organizer and he used to be on the show called Clean Sweep.

Okay, well I guess I'm not "professional" because I am a volunteer, but I am helping at a pregnancy center. The director asked for my personal help and said she has had difficulty organizing her office since things got rearranged in the beginning of the month, do I have any organization skills? How perfect! It feels a little like God is rewarding me for making a hard decision and sticking with it. Maybe it is more an answer to my prayer and an opportunity to serve, but I'm loving it all the same. It is good to know that my random talents/interests are needed somewhere.

Can't wait to help someone else and get out of the self-focused, decision making mode! I think I made a good decision but, unfortunately that came at the cost of being a little more self-absorbed than usual. Hopefully I find a way to serve others today instead of mope about because my husband will be gone for a week.

Hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day and thanks to all our veterans and service men and women!

Friday Reflection (one day early)

Well I'm a bit early, but I thought I would write today. I am the type of person that wants to see things through. I don't want to leave work with a project half finished and I definitely don't want to leave a group when I feel like accomplishments have not yet been made. It has been a stressful decision for me to make and I feel like no matter what the outcome it will be wrong.

Wrong for me to stay because I'm not being supported and wrong to leave because I don't want to abandon anyone. But abandon who? Who has done the work that I have offered as a way to move forward? I have made a difference in my pro-life group? I'm not sure. And yet, I was basically offered to be president of the group for the second time. Everyone else is too busy...and then there is me without a full time job or kids.

My pride says I should stay and get everyone excited and involved. My pride says I'm the only person for the job and it would be wrong to walk away. My emotions say run! The meetings are making you weak emotionally and spiritually. No personal goals have been achieved through my involvement in this group and I should promote NFP more. Afterall, I am most passionate about that since it provides an educated way to regulate family size without the chance of conceiving and miscarrying because of artificial means. Isn't that what I talk about most?

I can't just wait this out anymore...that is exactly what other officers are doing I realized. We're all waiting it out to see who steps up. So I'm down to this, either I should step up or step out. No more halfway. Either decision is going to be hard and I think I know which one it should be - I just don't like it.

Ok, I know we have all had tough decisions like this. Where did you find comfort and wisdom? I'm running out of places to look.

Happy 50th Anniversary

Many of you know the 50th anniversary of the pill was this month (at least widespread legal use of it). I'm a little late, but at least I'm in the right month. Many people have also written about this topic and what is popular or common belief now. Mainstream culture may have celebrated the anniversary, but at least one WSJ article talked about a lot of the facts. Seeing those facts brings me back to the summer I spent on researching the topic before the pill was widely available - all the way back to the 20s. Basic conclusion is still the same - contraception won't and can't solve all the social problems it promises to do away with (i.e. unexpected pregnancies). And as I linked to earlier in the comparison to smoking - there are also serious health risks.

Some other promises of birth control have also not been realized. "Sexual freedom" is not a reality because the physical bonding ties us to our "partners" and the more partners we have, the less satisfying the "bond" experience. Freedom should not limit bonds and trust. Artificial BC can do both. Not to mention the fact that women still must deal with unplanned pregnancies even if using the pill. It's a hard truth to face, but here is another one:

NFP never seems to get noticed. A scientifically based method of spacing/preventing births is ignored or seen as backward church talk. People don't think about the lack of side effects, free cost and life benefits received by practicing self-control. Even so, some sex-therapists recommend periodic abstinence as a way of rekindling romance. If it's available every day - no big deal. If some random days are picked to abstain the waiting builds anticipation (and maybe romance) and anticipation leads to greater satisfaction. If only that could be combined with a natural way of postponing pregnancy.....oh wait, that is exactly what NFP does? Amazing!

Motivation

Sometimes it is hard to stick with the same cause if you feel like you are going nowhere. I'm sure just about everyone in politics or other social movements have felt that way at some time or another. You can't change people - they have to want it and you definitely can't change society overnight. I may not see all the change that happens, but it is nice to get some positive feedback.

Yesterday I was quite productive, but two of the highlights among many house chores were talking with a fellow NFP teacher who is very excited about the first set of classes she taught which resulted in friendships and finishing my first series of classes by having a couple over for dinner (then class) who missed last week. It was nice to have that social outlet after cleaning all day and got me motivated enough to come to this blog :-)

Another "highlight" from last week's class is that I caught a student making a comic strip about smoking and asked how it was related to class. He tried hard to make it fit, and I remembered that I read something linking the two subjects. So here is that link written by thatmarriedcouple - always finding great resources and making my life a little easier!

Patience and Acceptance

Well, I don't feel like I have solved all the world's problems or figured out what I am going to do with the rest of my life. I didn't have an ah ha! moment but I've had a few small ones. Unfortunately the small ones seem to tell me I do have to work on patience (can that lesson speed up already?) and a bit a acceptance. It seems to be possible that I already "know" what I am called to do but I don't like it as much anymore.

It is easy to be excited when you are just starting out and there are new people to meet. the new pro-life group that was so young and enthusiastic, hasn't gotten very far and seems to be dwindling. I don't live in the city where they meet and I'm not the most outgoing so I don't seem to be the best fit for the job - luckily I didn't become president and feel comfortable in my role as secretary, but I am itching to do something new and exciting. I'm anxious to reach more people with my message. So right now all I know is I can't give up and I'm searching for inspiration. If anyone has a good book recommendation or other insight let me know. In the meantime, I still love reading your blogs :-)

Living a Calling

I don't know about you, but sometimes I can get a bit overwhelmed. I just went on a cruise and briefly visited a third world country. It is such a difference and reminds me of how blessed I am. However, I'm only one person so I can't save that country - but what can I do? Yesterday I read from the book Here and Now by Henri Nouwen and the excerpt was on this topic exactly! What a lucky coincidence or sign.

It is easy to get so overwhelmed by all the good that needs to be done - save the poor, care for the sick, educate the uneducated, donate to a gazillion charities and then try to enjoy time with friends and family. How can it all be done? Easy answer - it can't. Henri Nouwen put it just that simply - you can't do it all. Oh the nerve of him to assume I can't give myself to eight charities at once while also going on trips to help communities in Africa which is all very true. That much was easy to accept, but what should I do?

This was the hard part. Be patient and wait to be led to your calling. Discern where you need to be and give your all to that vocation. Not everyone is called to the same vocation so that we can all have an impact where we are instead of all being spread too thin. Problem is, I prayed and prayed and God gave me direction. Yippee! I know what to do - but that was a year ago and I feel lost again. I haven't changed the name of this blog yet even though I'm 25 because I don't know if I will stay with it or if the topic will change slightly. It has already changed because when I started I tried to keep religion out of life issues but without it there just isn't a compelling reason to make sacrifices like caring for a baby when you hadn't planned on it - if only for 9 months until you give it up for adoption.

In any case, I seem to be back in a period of discernment and so I don't get distracted I probably won't post again for a while until I know there is a purpose for it. Hopefully I find/realize something soon because I really don't like working on the virtue of patience ;-)

Back to Reality

Well I definitely enjoyed my trip. It was nice to live in the moment for 2 weeks. I didn't have to think about how we were going to make it to a new destination - I just went to sleep and woke up in one. Oh the wonders of cruising I discovered, but I won't rub your face in it much longer. Just for the time it takes for a short reflection.


While every spot was great, my favorite was Pompeii because you really got a good idea of how people lived as opposed to seeing an ancient site in the middle of a modern city. The picture above is actually a hot food restaurant, think ancient McDonald's. I met some great people including a number of newlyweds who were pretty close to us in age and I got spoiled with the tea selection on board - at least two cups a day. I went to the store today and didn't find the kind I was looking for :-(

Okay okay, actual reflection now. It was nice living in a fantasy world, no worries and amazing experiences like our fabulous window overlooking the shopping area of the ship (great people watching spot). No responsibilities like laundry and planning things to do - everything is taken care of for you. It was nice to feel loved and care for, but the ship doesn't really care for your spirit. There was a chapel but there were no Christian services for the two Sundays we spent on board. One was at sea all day so we definitely couldn't get to Mass and the other was in Egypt - just as unlikely, so we had a service ourselves with the Sunday readings and boy were they needed! Other than that, I got really lazy and I'm paying for it now. I'm too wired to sit and reflect even thought that is something I love doing.

So I have tried to reflect and think about what is worth writing about. I think my trip came at the perfect time. I stopped over analyzing all the little decisions I am trying to make and remembered to enjoy life in the here and now. No thoughts about buying a house or what to do about where and when I am volunteering (am I in the right place or not?). All I did was enjoy lots of quality time with my husband going to shows and having dinner with different people every night. The ship was also so calming that my mood swings were greatly diminished and I was surprised to have cramps when I got home because my usual early warning signs weren't there. Even though at this point I was most definitely back to reality, I felt grateful. I was given such a blessing that I could handle one day of suffering. I could pick up my cat (whom I missed) and be thankful that I have people (and cats) to love and take care of me. My marriage is great and re-energized by the trip and we get along pretty well even in my trials because he is so good at taking care of me. We are not stressed by the pain (at least not yet) because it does not mean we are infertile. There are many couples that have it worse than us. My reality really isn't so bad and I'm glad to be back.

Angels & Demons

Well this post is more serious than I will be in Sicily, Italy! It is the last stop on our cruise. We will have one day at sea and then I'll be on my way home. Maybe I will take time to do a Friday reflection...maybe not. Hope everyone has enjoyed the blast from the past (year old posts) and update on my location. Can't wait to tell everyone about it!

Usually, you would think those two beings are opposites. Would anyone mistake an angel for a demon? Certainly they wouldn't in pictures - one usually has thorns on its head and the other white wings. One is all good and one is inherently bad.

Unfortunately, in real life, angels and demons can easily be confused. Something may sound really good, but is it just because of the careful wording that is being used? Universal, rights, liberties and justice all look like "angelic" words. We forget that those words can also be used for evil to an extreme - Hitler arguing that justice involved killing innocent people. It is easy to point out the extremes of the past and say "of course that was wrong," but Hitler won political power before he started his radical killing spree. People of the time did not understand everything that was going on and many supported him.

So I ask anyone that reads this - how do you figure out who/what is an angel or demon? How do you explain to someone that something that is seen as incredibly bad by the media is not actually that way? Are we on the right track as a country/world or are there some things that are slipping by us that will have serious consequences later? The dichotomy of angel v. demon may be a bit extreme - but I think calling pro-life advocates terrorists is pretty extreme as well. A true pro-life person is someone who respects everyone's individual right to life - whether a healthy 20 yr old going to school, an elderly grandma, a baby in the womb, or even a criminal. How can standing up for life be a terrorist action? How are we causing terror? I was reminded twice yesterday that pro-lifers are terrorists and that has me wondering why? Any help would be appreciated - the concern of mine is that the movement will be even easier to dismiss once it is widely labeled as a terrorist organization (has that already happened?).

Information...

This quote is a bit out of date - but I'm pretty sure she holds the same views now as I do. This was originally posted last May. This May I have just finished an overnight tour of Egypt seeing lots of amazing ancient wonders! Maybe I'll have to post pictures when I get back.

We live in a world today that is full of information. It is staggering how much information you can find on the internet - and I am hopefully adding to that just a bit. In an age with so much information available - and free internet access at libraries - how can we say that people are denied access to information? It is out there if you are willing to look for it. I think this is one of the greatest steps mankind has made in the last century but it comes with a cost. There is so much information out there that the problem is not finding some, the problem is getting too much to go through. I look at something related to sanctity of life every day and I am still far from an expert on all the current debates happening right now. With that as my understanding, I found this comment that Hillary Clinton made at a Planned Parenthood event quite interesting:

[W]e know that Margaret Sanger's work here in the United States and certainly across our globe is not done. Here at home, there are still too many women who are denied their rights because of income, because of opposition, because of attitudes that they harbor. But around the world, too many women are denied even the opportunity to know about how to plan and space their families. They're denied the power to do anything about the most intimate of decisions.

Any time someone says the "world" it is too much for me to process. I do know simple family planning methods have been taught in developing countries and are well received. I don't know where exactly, how often, etc. On the other hand, I can say something with a bit more authority about the United Sates. No one in America is denied the opportunity to learn how to plan their families. There are opportunities online and through books (that libraries lend for free) for women to learn about family planning. Natural Family Planning classes are open to everyone and in my area range from completely free to a one time cost of $75-100. That is much more cost effective for the woman and for the taxpayers. I wish there was a good source to go to for both sides of the story - but each side is going to stick to their own.

The point of the post: don't take anything on the news or from politicians at face value (for either side). Evaluate the facts and do some research before you write them off. That I have done and I finished with more respect for the pro-choice movement. They have good goals: help empower women and improve their health. I just disagree with how they go about reaching those goals. I think empowering women to choose and embrace life while making wise choices in their daily activities is worth fighting for every day. I plan to continue doing just that.

Children

A post from last May...again, my thoughts haven't changed much since I still don't have the experience. Today I will be in Ephesus, Turkey and yesterday I was in Rhodes, Greece

I was asked a question that sounds easy but is incredibly difficult to answer. What excites me most about having children? Before I try to answer, I think a lot of mothers would say their idea of motherhood changed drastically when it went from theoretical to actual. Right now I can have some great dreams and ideas about raising children - but I have no experience.

What is most exciting?
I will be fulfilling my vocation as a wife. One of the 3 intentions stated at a Catholic marriage ceremony is that the couple will willingly accept the children as a gift from God. I am excited that, with the help of God, I will actually create new life - if he grants me that gift. I am excited to see what dreams and interests my children will have and I'm excited to share my love for life with more people. It feels like a natural progression -

1. Get married and strengthen the unifying love between my spouse and I
2. Prepare financially, physically, spiritually, emotionally for another person
3. Create life - the super exciting part
4. Have a child - too mysterious and huge to say I'm excited about A or B

Right now, I am just excited to be defending life and trying to live in a way that is open to life at all stages. Eventually that will bring me to the motherhood. I believe there is no better vocation than accepting and nourishing life - at least no better vocation for me. My mother (and father) have taught me and love me and supported me in so many ways. I'm looking forward to doing the same.

For those who have already entered the motherhood - Happy Mother's Day! Especially to all the new and expecting mothers I know. I hope your weekend is full of joy and quality time with family.

Love

Another great post from about a year ago...I even double-checked the links and they still work :-) Today I am in....Athens, Greece

Yesterday I read about St. Therese of the Child Jesus. She was born in the late 1800s and was named a saint in the early 1900s. Her message was to do everything in love. She wanted all her actions to be done with an attitude of love, no matter how ordinary the task. It is simple yet profound. How do we know what love is and how can we constantly show that love? I know I don't have all the answers, but I know love is not just sitting silent when bad things happen. With that said, my single point for today is that I am trying to love everyone in two ways

By speaking out for those who have no voice.

By educating anyone that will listen about benefits they could see in their life by practicing a natural form of birth control.

Random side note - any words that are a different color than the majority of the text have a link to a helpful website, not everyone reading this has realized that. I put two in this post that were in previous posts that some might have missed

NFP and intention

Another good one from last April! I was really hardcore then huh? My opinion on this post is still the same and it has been quite a journey trying to "improve" areas of my life to make more room for my future family...still no different news to share from a year ago. And if anyone is curious, today I am touring Pompeii!

Last night, as I was catching up with one of my college friends, I was reminded of a previous conversation we had a month or two ago. It related to the intention of a couple using NFP. When I was learning the method, I remember my teacher saying that you can use NFP in immoral ways, but I don't remember a lot of details on how that is possible. If you aren't using anything artificial, how can the system be immoral?

First of all, I want to say that NFP can be used for more reasons than many people think. Dr. Gregory Popcak (PhD) put it best when he wrote:

The phrase 'grave reasons' comes from a popular - though flawed and unofficial - translation of Humanae Vitae that has caused much harm and misunderstanding. The official Vatican translation from the original Latin reads 'serious reasons.' What constitutes 'serious reasons,' however, is left to the couple to discern. Pope Pius XII indicated that the reasons a couple may choose to prevent pregnancy are 'in truth, very wide.' The Church asks only that every couple give prayerful consideration to 'both their own welfare and that of their children, those already born and those which may be foreseen' as well as to exhibit a willingness to 'reckon with both the material and spiritual conditions of the times as well as their state of life...[and] the interests of the family group, of temporal society, and of the Church herself' (Gaudium et Spes, no. 50) - Gregory Popcak Ph.D Holy Sex: A Catholic Guide to Toe-Curling, Mind-Blowing, Infallible Loving pg.185

Serious reasons can and should include physical, emotional, spiritual and financial needs. The question then needs to be asked: Can we support a new child in all of those ways? If the answer is no, then NFP can be used to avoid pregnancy.

That brings me back to my original question of how NFP can be used immorally. In my understanding, it all comes down to intentions. Is the couple prayerfully considering a family and their ability to care for one? This is where the confusing gray area is found. Only the couple can know where they are at in all the categories above, so the church is necessarily vague in discussing serious reasons. However, if the couple sees children as a bad thing or just an inconvenience, don't they have the same mentality as those using artificial means? It is something that only the couple and God can know for sure. I have to ask myself every month if I am remaining truly open to life. If my heart is closed to the possibility of a new life, the fact that I do not use artificial means to prevent pregnancy is not benefiting me spiritually.

As I stated in an email to my friend after the conversation we had, it is hard for me to answer that question sometimes. In regards to one of the categories, my answer is no and has been for a number of months. On the other hand, saying no to children without trying to improve my life so that I could switch that answer seemed incomplete. Being open to life and really questioning my intentions behind NFP has helped motivate me to live a healthier lifestyle so that I know that I am working toward turning that no into a yes.

Friday Reflection v.1 n.13

During my trip I'm going to schedule a couple of my favorite post from months ago. Reading my early posts re-energizes me because I can remember how passionate I was about both causes then - before some of the struggles and frustrations. This was originally posted last April.

This morning I contemplated something that would cause so many to lose hope. The pro-life movement seems nowhere near its ultimate goal of ending abortion. Many leaders, including President Obama, do not support the movement. Nothing I can do by myself will change that fact. I have never been a dreamer - I am just one person. Uniting with millions more is still not enough for me to think I can change the world.

What keeps the movement going? For some it is belief that what they know to be true will triumph in the end. It is a complicated issue the involves social justice which most people want. Unfortunately, there are many groups in this world that want to achieve justice through their ideas and aren't concerned about other points of view or other developing people. I wish these groups could work togetherbut, all too often, we get stuck arguing over the means with which to get there. One of those means for many people is abortion. I don't see an agreement coming any time soon - but that doesn't mean we should give up and stop seeking a solution. There are unfathomable odds against the pro-life movement and yet the movement just won't go away - kind of like the abolition movement that seemed never-ending.

For me there is something more to it. It is my faith in God that has drawn me to the movement. Anything that happens in the group I help, will be from God, not me. God can handle and fight against the unfathomable - I cannot. Although I don't intend this blog to be "religious" and I am so thankful for all the nonreligious that support the movement, every once in a while it needs to be stated that there is something bigger giving me the strength to give my all to this cause. I could not do it by myself. I would get stressed out and decide it's not worth it - but I know someone who went through much more and stayed true to His faith. Hopefully I can continue to do the same.

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to my sister! We turn 25 today. I will be in Rome, she will be in MI. She will get to go to Italy in the fall though...so she has something to look forward to in the near future. I can't believe we're 25. I feel like we should definitely be grown-ups now. I guess we are - married, going on exotic trips when we want, maintaining a house - at least one of us is a homeowner :-) I still feel like I'm "playing" house since I have not financial investment into it.

Well Happy 25th Birthday sis! I hope it is a great one and you have a wonderful weekend after. Can't wait to hear about all the good times and see you in May!

Friday Reflection....

NFP class went great yesterday! I can't think of any details to add. I was a little too overwhelmed because I had a bad day substitute teaching so I just let the evening wash over me without being super analytical - crazy right? I prayed for maybe a minute and just sensed I was supposed to go next door and just play piano. Maybe God knew he would lead me and my head would distract me. Playing piano was the most peaceful time in the moments before class. I wasn't thinking about worst-case scenarios and I wasn't concerned about setup - yet. I just got to play - poorly at that but who could hear?

Now, I am in the middle of another not-so-great sub job but who cares? I am leaving for Rome next week and I get two birthday dinner/celebrations leading up to it! That means less cooking/mess for me to deal with while trying to get started on that packing thing....

Hope everyone has a great weekend and week! I scheduled posts to come up while we're gone - you can check in to see where I am and what I wrote a year ago. Otherwise, the next post I write won't be until after mother's day. So to all you mothers out there - congrats, thank you and all those nice things to wish a happy mother's day to you all! You have the best job ever :-D

New Volunteer Opportunity

For the past couple months I have been trying to take a step back from my life. I tried to let myself move to the background so that I could be led in the right direction. So many times I have thought "I should do this" and then go fulfill my wishes without looking back. Many of those things have been good, but maybe not the best. Maybe I could have done something better or more exciting instead of having blinders on until I decided I finished the task.

On the other hand, my husband the chef is quite the opposite. He has to approach multiple angles multiple times before coming to a decision in the first place. This is a great skill to have, even if it is not the most convenient when shopping for a new camera or at the grocery store. I know what I want and I'm ready to be done while my husband has barely started.

Now that you have both stories maybe you'd like to know the why behind it. I have tried to follow my husband's method of making a decision and realized I'm not very good at it. There is too much time for doubt and confusion to slow me down. Wait, wasn't that the point in the first place? Oh yes, well it's been months on the same question and I just can't get a clear answer - although I just might have today. Should I fade out of one group to have more time to volunteer for another? That is the months old question. Today, on the day when I put another commitment before my commitment to be at a meeting, I got an email about a volunteer opportunity. I didn't ask for the email or contact the group in quite a while, but I got the email on the day I am "skipping" the meeting for the group in question for something at church.

hmmm....hmmmm.... something else to ponder on my trip - maybe ;-D

People v. Property

Last night I finally watched the movie Amazing Grace about the slave trade in England. It was a great movie and I truly enjoyed it. It also got me quite hopeful. Here was a story of someone who was going against the weight of the world. The slave trade was necessary even if it was evil and, what's more, it was completely legal and supported by the government. After all, society would fall apart if slaves did not produce sugar because the economy would not survive.

In so many ways, the movie seemed to parallel the fight in which I am involved.

Movie/slavery: "property" was needed to increase economic stability

My life/abortion: "property" is private and needs to be disposed of to increase economic and emotional stability

Movie: it was taboo to bring the subject up in polite company, because of course William Wilberforce was crazy to think he could bring about change in a matter of private property - even if hundreds die on each trip to the West Indies

Life: Of course it is crazy to think government will change on the subject of abortion because it is a matter of privacy, not a matter of killing millions of babies

Movie: years of evidence of unsanitary conditions, opposition, cruelty and deaths did not work very quickly - more like decades

Life: years of evidence of life (especially in the last trimester when the baby is viable) has not led to more restrictive rules

I wonder if my life story will turn out the same - not that I will be the modern day Wilberforce, but that a change will come. It doesn't seem any less likely or less than the slavery issue. After all, they were property too.