🗻 Did you survive your run-in with the jerky boys, aka the soldiers?
Of course! As a mom and someone who works in IT, I've learned that patience usually wears down even the most determined jerks in the long run.
🏝️ What’s the most scenic place you’ve ever visited?
I spent two summers at Petrified Forest National Park. Hiking out into the Painted Desert at night, where there's so little light pollution that you can watch satellites travel across the sky is the most beautiful thing ever.
💻 vs. 🚲 Are you more of an indoor or outdoor person? Has it changed over time?
This entirely depends on where I am. When I was at Petrified Forest, you couldn't keep me indoors. I was constantly out and about, and I loved every minute of it. Now that I live in The South, you pretty much have to drag me outdoors any time it's not spring or fall. I just despise humidity, so going out is pretty miserable most of the year.
✍️ Bonus Challenge (+50 Points): Award yourself a scout-type merit badge for something you did over the past year.
My merit badge is going to be "Stepping Waaaaaay Outside of my Comfort Zone in the Weirdest Way Possible."
I've been trying to find something to do lately that engages more with my community. The pandemic really affected my ability to social. Over the last year, I've been volunteering as a religious education teacher at my congregation. I'm kind of an oddball, being the atheist who was raised Catholic at a Unitarian Universalist Congregation where I'm one of the few who was raised in any form of Christianity. I've been teaching 5th-8th graders, and it's been one of the highlights of my year. It's super odd though to be the one sharing the Christian point of view on things. Guess those 9 years of Catholic school weren't a total wash!
Well done! Patience is not only a virtue, but a game-winning strategy.
Petrified Forest National Park looks absolutely gorgeous, particularly those multi-colored mountains. There's nothing quite like a clear night sky to remind you that we are just tiny specs in a vast universe and that is beautiful in-and-of-itself.
+50 points! Oh wow, that's a fascinating choice of profession for an atheist. Has it worked? Do you feel more connected with the community, even though you don't personally believe the gospel? I can imagine there's some friction there.
I do feel more connected, and honestly, I realize how much I enjoy that age group. Old enough to be interesting, but not quite teens yet. :) Thankfully, no friction in the congregational community. UUs welcome anyone of all beliefs, so there's agnostics, atheists, pagans, Humanists, some Christians without a particular church they affiliate with.... We even had an LDS family for a while!
🗻 Did you survive your run-in with the jerky boys, aka the soldiers?
Of course! As a mom and someone who works in IT, I've learned that patience usually wears down even the most determined jerks in the long run.
🏝️ What’s the most scenic place you’ve ever visited?
I spent two summers at Petrified Forest National Park. Hiking out into the Painted Desert at night, where there's so little light pollution that you can watch satellites travel across the sky is the most beautiful thing ever.
💻 vs. 🚲 Are you more of an indoor or outdoor person? Has it changed over time?
This entirely depends on where I am. When I was at Petrified Forest, you couldn't keep me indoors. I was constantly out and about, and I loved every minute of it. Now that I live in The South, you pretty much have to drag me outdoors any time it's not spring or fall. I just despise humidity, so going out is pretty miserable most of the year.
✍️ Bonus Challenge (+50 Points): Award yourself a scout-type merit badge for something you did over the past year.
My merit badge is going to be "Stepping Waaaaaay Outside of my Comfort Zone in the Weirdest Way Possible."
I've been trying to find something to do lately that engages more with my community. The pandemic really affected my ability to social. Over the last year, I've been volunteering as a religious education teacher at my congregation. I'm kind of an oddball, being the atheist who was raised Catholic at a Unitarian Universalist Congregation where I'm one of the few who was raised in any form of Christianity. I've been teaching 5th-8th graders, and it's been one of the highlights of my year. It's super odd though to be the one sharing the Christian point of view on things. Guess those 9 years of Catholic school weren't a total wash!
Well done! Patience is not only a virtue, but a game-winning strategy.
Petrified Forest National Park looks absolutely gorgeous, particularly those multi-colored mountains. There's nothing quite like a clear night sky to remind you that we are just tiny specs in a vast universe and that is beautiful in-and-of-itself.
+50 points! Oh wow, that's a fascinating choice of profession for an atheist. Has it worked? Do you feel more connected with the community, even though you don't personally believe the gospel? I can imagine there's some friction there.
I do feel more connected, and honestly, I realize how much I enjoy that age group. Old enough to be interesting, but not quite teens yet. :) Thankfully, no friction in the congregational community. UUs welcome anyone of all beliefs, so there's agnostics, atheists, pagans, Humanists, some Christians without a particular church they affiliate with.... We even had an LDS family for a while!
7th grade was the toughest for me growing up. I remember it being a difficult year. Glad those kids have someone cool like yourself as a teacher!