Flat Flip Priming the Pump. Or Perhaps Not.
Do you ever get in that kind of mood where you create all sorts of blog posts in your mind? Posts that are incredibly insightful, witty and / or thought-provoking. But for whatever reason they never come to pass? Maybe it's just me - the inveterate procrastinator-combined-with-grandiose-planner. "Gee, I've thought about it so it's as good as done." Except it's all in my head.
Well, I've had a particularly bad case of that lately. So I thought perhaps a list of topics / thoughts I've had might prime the pump. If nothing else it should make me feel as though I've accomplished something today.
- Like "Flat Stanley" I sometimes feel that blogwise I'm "Flat Flip." Very two dimensional. Alcoholic. Bisexual. That about sums it up. Why read his blog when it's so predictable? But then why do I care? I'm not writing this for you. It's for me. Then why do I obsess about comments, etc. Oh yeah, Flat Flip is eternally conflicted, too. Ho hum.
- I learned a lot from the comments on my last post about showing "Bi Pride."
- I have currently revived with newfound vigor the pursuit of alignment with a more organized religion or spirituality to enhance my relationship with my higher power. Through various online and mental exercises I am currently investigating becoming a Liberal Quaker. How does that notion strike thee?
- Last week I had dinner with Tom of The Truth About Tom. It was the first time I have met a fellow blogger (at least that I was aware of). It was really neat and I look forward to meeting Tom again sometime and other bloggers too.
- My relationship with my kids and my wife continues to get better and better.
- My wife's drinking drives me crazy. I have no reason to believe she is an alcoholic, and it wouldn't be up to me to diagnose even if she were. She rarely gets drunk. But she drinks regularly. I believe this is an opportunity for me to practice self-restraint and surrender.
- I would like to have a better relationship with my older brother.
- I would like to have a better relationship with my parents.
- Although the service work I now do is related to restorative justice / volunteering in jails and prisons, I would like to do more in this area. This is one of a number of reasons I am drawn to Liberal Quakerism.
- One of the healthy ways I relax is by watching airplane videos online. I know Jetboy probably understands this. Of course I'm not saying I don't watch other things online too...
- I am going to be essentially unchaperoned for about a week later this month. Uh oh!
- I strongly believe in synchronicity. To me it explains why I have met so many of you, why you are such a big part of my life, and a number of other happenings in my life that I believe are more than mere coincidence.
- Justin's (Brad's honey who posts at Under Red Light - check it out!) experience in the shoe store continues to piss me off. I wish I could be in Memphis to go with him the next time he shops for shoes. This is one alcoholic who knows how to create a scene and I'm itching for a reason to do it...
- The name of my blog sometimes really irritates me. Before starting it I probably thought of at least 100 different names. I was never completely satisfied, but one day I just had to start the blog AT THAT VERY MOMENT and Mobius Flip was my best choice at that time. I've been considering a name change.
Enough.
If any of the above ideas sounds interesting let me know. Perhaps that will be incentive for me to expand on them. Or perhaps not. Or perhaps you have another idea or question you would like me to answer. Or perhaps not. I hesitate to ask because it seems a little attention-whorish. Oh yeah, I just asked. Another dimension to Flat Flip...attention whore.
Cheers,
Flip
10 comments:
Keep the name. I like it. I really love the post as well.
Yeah, the bitch pissed me off as well. But, you've got to realize that Justin is 6'6" tall and weighs 250 pounds. The fact that she said anything at all is most remarkable.
Liberal Quakerism? Holy crap, I'm speechless!
NOOOO! Don't change your blog name. It's so creatively original and clever in my mind, yet complex to interpret, like a work of art. I'm envious of such a cool name!
At least here's one way I interpret it: Mobius strip + flip flop = Mobius Flip.
A one sided surface (your one identity, a singularity) that creates a seemingly two sided shape (a duality like the bisexual nature of you) into a 3 dimensional space (the world) and the flip as in flip-flop (the psychological constant changing back and forth with confusion associated with the situation.
Neato!
Even if my interpret is wrong...it's so cool. (How did you come up with such an interesting name?)
Have to think about the other bullets a little...a lot of potential material here! :)
Liberal Quaker? I dunno, it seems (historically speaking) like they get beat up on a lot...
I myself am considering a conversion to Bokonism....
Brad: OK, name will not change.
Liberal Quakerism. I was very surprised when this was suggested to me because all I could think of was oatmeal and people riding around in buggies. I was wrong. But I shall have to do more investigating before deciding.
And thanks for the reminder to never piss Justin off. I'm intimidated even if the shoe bitch wasn't!
Bear: OK, won't change names.
You did a great job of articulating my thoughts about the name. Mobius strips have always fascinated me and I do identify with the mystery (to me) of the single-surface on both sides. The "Flip" came from the fact that even when you flip it you are still on the same surface and what you have to do to a regular strip of paper (after you cut it) to make it into a Mobius Flip. It also sort-of rhymed with "strip." I had not specifically thought of my own "flip-flopping" but that makes perfect sense so I have now adopted it as another reason I chose the name.
When I Googled it I didn't like the fact that there is a movie or something about extreme skiing (I think) of the same name. But I was never able to find a completely original name so I just gave up on that.
Thanks again for the interpretation.
Bigg: Perhaps Liberal Quakerism does appeal to the masochistic side of me. However, initial Googling of Bokonism makes it sound very enticing, too. I have also considered becoming a Pastafarian.
Flip -
I think I get the most out of reading blogs when I feel they're manifested in real relationship issues. I'd love to hear more about your dinner with Tom, struggles with your brother or parents, or how things at home are getting better. I read, I think and I learn ...maybe I even react or apply.
Thanks for always making me think.
If you change the blog name I would feel that the time I spent in the Boston Science Museum studying the Mobius Flip exhibit would have been in vain, so I say stick with the name. Anyway one cannot really change the URL - lord knows I would change mine in a heartbeat.
Quakers are alright. One of my boys spent four years in a Friends school. Once a year they did a "retreat" weekend for the kids and parents: it was actually pretty cool. Of course you cannot go by me - a jewish boy who after getting his wife to convert sort of misses the Methodists.
I think we all feel a little one dimensional in this world - well I'm one, you are actually two - because that is the relevant issues in our lives. I doubt anyone cares about my kids recital (okay - they didn't have one - I made it up). Plus there is always the concern over putting up so much info you might as well publish an address - a window I constatnly push.
So I humbly propose you keep on as you are which is great.
I would love to hear about the restorative justice.
And if you are ever in the NY area, I would love to have dinner.
Nate
Pastafarian is good too. May his noodly appendages embrace thee!
I tend to pick little things out of your blog that I find interesting.
It must be hard as a recovering alcoholic to have alcohol in your home that your wife "partakes" of on occasion. To me, if she really appreciates and respects your recovery efforts, she would not put "temptation" where it could be easily accessed by you in your home. I applaud your commitment to sobriety in light of this new revelation.
Liberal Quaker? Isn't that an oxymoron? I am reminded of Harrison Ford in "Witness", horse and buggies, beards, and big brimmed hats.....however, these are probably stereotypes.
Here's a question to ponder: are we changing our theology to match our lifestyle, or changing our lifestyle to match our theology? If you feel the need to convert, go for it. At least you haven't chucked the faith overall as some have done.
As far as the shoe store scenario, he could have been buying shoes for his "wife". How many times have we gone to the store to buy napkins/tampons for our wives without a negative comment? Some people need to think before they speak!
Just for today!
Paul: Thanks for reading and I'm glad to hear that in my blog there are sometimes things that make you think.
I also appreciate hearing what things you might be interested in reading about in the future. I hope it will help me add a few new dimensions.
Nate: OK, no name change. I forgot about the extensive research you did. What was I thinking?????
I will certainly be writing some about restorative justice in the near future. And I will definitely let you know if I am in NY.
Bigg: Thanks for the blessing!
RV: I could probably ask her and she would be more discreet about her drinking. But I am trying to carefully examine my motives and I'm not entirely sure that it doesn't have less to do with my concern about my own sobriety and more to do with wanting control - which is probably a more real threat to my sobriety than watching her drink. I hope this makes sense.
Actually Liberal Quaker is not an oxymoron although not long ago I would have thought the same thing. It is a standard term for one branch of the Society of Friends. The hatted buggy-drivers in the movie "Witness" were Amish, not Quaker. Very different (again, a recent revelation to me).
Considering theology, my current theology consists of a higher power of my own understanding. So I am not really changing anything, just looking for a larger group of people aligned with my current beliefs in a forum not associated with recovery from alcoholism.
Thanks again everyone for your insightful comments.
Cheers!
Flip
My last weigh-in on this post, I swear.
I live around great unwashed hordes of the Amish, and I can attest that they are most definitely NOT Quakers.
My daughter recently did the flat Stanley thing at her school, I brought her Flat Stanley to work and photographed the two of us in the microbiology lab, the cadaver/dissection lab, and in the osteopathic manipulative techniques lab -- my daughter won a prize. Did your kids do the flat Stanley project recently? I somehow pictured them as older.
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