Friday, December 14, 2012

Life After Peace Corps - Homosexuality, God's Will?

December 14, 2012
Although I am not against Homosexual, I never thought that the behavior was natural or normal until I stumbled upon this article:
Among plants, sometimes flowers possess both male and female sex organs, sometimes they are unisexual and on different plants, sometimes unisexual and on the same plants, sometimes flowers are designed so they can't self-pollinate, other times they have to pollinate themselves, and some plants skip the sex scene altogether by reproducing vegetatively.

Among animals we find everything from the male seahorse who carries the eggs, hatches them and takes care of the young, to the "polyandrous" Spotted Sandpiper whose females may lay up to four nests in a season, each equipped with a different male incubating the eggs. Of course, the common earthworm is both male and female, and some snails sometimes mate with themselves, producing offspring.
The higher up the evolutionary scale you go, the kinkier it all gets. Among communities of mice and other mammals, when population density reaches a certain high level where diseases and famine threaten, not only does homosexual behavior appear but also parents begin killing their own offspring. It's always the case that the Creator chooses the welfare of the community over that of the individual.

In short, it is simply wrong to say that homosexual behavior is never natural.

I share this article with my religious friend.  He argues that according to the bible; homosexuality is not an acceptable behavior in the eyes of God.  I scratch my head and wonder, if god is the creator of the natural world, everything in nature surely is his intention, right?  He disagrees!
That is exactly the problem I have with religious.  I have many religious friends and they go to church 3-4 times a week, speak of how wonderful God is, how they love God, but do they truly understand God or they just blindly accept God.
My relationship with ‘God” has been consistent. I believe there is “something” out there.  Some people call it “God”, I would rather call it “secret power”.  Some people like to use bible to express God's will, I would rather be with nature and let “God” show me his words.   

If there is a “God”, I truly believe I will find him in the woods someday.  My friend Derrick did, he met God when he climbed Macho Picchu in Peru.   
The place seemed holy, where one might hope to see God.
John Muir
This is the experience I am waiting for.  When I see him, I will have tons of questions for him, including this one, homosexuality.

Sunday, December 09, 2012

Life After Peace Corps - Running



December 9, 2012

End of Daylight savings time means that when I get home from work, my running path would be in complete darkness. For a while, it deterred me from venturing to the night.  But after a several weeks, my body began to protest, I had to get out to “liberate” the energy trapped inside my body.  So one cool night, I went out for a long run.  Once I started running, I felt better.  I guess I need running in much the same way as other people occasionally need coffee or booze.  It just feels right and natural to be running again.

Certain sections of my running path edge around woodlands.  There are no street lights and I totally depend on the fickle lights coming out from few houses to guide me, and I welcome the barking of dogs, they make me feel safer.  Another problem running in the dark is the cars.  Their head lights either blind me or startle me.    I need to wear an outfit that has those fancy reflective materials to make myself more visible in the dark.  Running in the dark, sometimes does attract attention, unwanted kind of attention.  To be sure that I am safe, I have to avoid running on a same path.  By and large, I feel constricted, not having a complete enjoyment to run.   My co-worker urges me to join a gym.  So I decide to check out the gym in my neighborhood. 

As soon I entered to the facility, I was confronted by the most uncomfortable stifling air.   There were no windows, no fresh air, no trees, no flowers, no birds, just human.   I spot a good looking trainer with expensive workout clothing flirting with his trainees.   The receptionist was a young and attractive girl.  She asked me to put down my personal information.  Of course, I hesitated.  Eventually, she called her manager.  The skinny manager took me to his small office and went over the price tags of being a member.  The cheapest one: $499 annually!  I thanked him and left.    

I do not believe paying someone to get myself healthy.  Besides, I prefer fresh air than body odor.    That night, I went out running again.  I passed two churches and I asked God watch over me.  As always, when I finish my run, I am a subtly different person from the one who set out.  The cold crisp air indeed does my body good.