Musings in the Aftermath of Christmas

David Bowie's song I'm Afraid of Americans has been my anthem for the past few days. While it's hard to "drop it like it's hot" to this song, the song as an essence of truth. America is a scary ass country to be living in like 90% of the time (consider racism, George W. Bush, mall shootings if you're not following me....).

I've been bonding with the zoo peeps a lot lately -- pie nights, late night phone convos with Carol, Sudoku conventions -- all seems good in the hood. Zoolights ends in less than a week and I haven't been fired (despite appearances to the contrary). Sweet. Me (for the most part) likey the zoo.

Two of my top 5 friends, coincidentally both who live in other states/countries, are in town for the holidays. I've loved spending time with them. I've needed intimate, safe, long term friendships lately. I adore them both and the amazing things they are doign with their lives.

As far as the fam -- well -- we made it through Christmas. Only two more stress producing functions to go (Lutefisk Extended Family Thing and Parents' annual New Years Day Friendship Feast). Both of the parents are gently nudging me into world travel in 2006 -- I was given money and paperwork to get my passport for Christmas. I'm stoked.

The past few days I've been busy tying up lose ends for the year. Scrapbooks, blogs, and goal setting. It's been cathartic and relaxing thus far. I've done a lot in 2005 and I do have stuff to show for it. Really, I couldn't ask for much more.

Christmas Church was good. Spiritual leader spoke about considering who we're neighbors with (who we share tent pegs with) and how sharing a tent peg with someone connects us. Gave me a lot to consider given interconnectedness as a theme. I'd already been thinking on these lines -- in considering which of my zoo co-workers I would have possibly encountered without the zoo. Some I would have very easily, others I'd probably never have met. It's an interesting phenomenon. Taking that interconnectedness one step further, and with a Christian slant, if Christ is among us in other people and we have a mass of people in our lives each revealing Christ-like qualities, is God in essence already revealed to us? Something to think about...