Lately I've felt the need to be more academic.  The only academic work that I do at this point is edit papers, which yes is very important (especially to those writing papers) but not satisfying.  I'm not discovering anything new, I'm not able to prove (not that things can be proven) things, etc.

It's been 8 months since I've written an academic paper.  Granted, I needed a break after writing my graduate thesis, it almost killed me and several others (my husband, my advisor, my readers, those that edited for me, etc.).  However, the nerd and me listens to people and watches how people act and thinks about how a paper needs to be written about things.  For example, the other day my coworker said something about working with "hens."  Needless to say I told the patriarch to hush before he got more offensive.  Yet, my women coworkers didn't understand why I got upset or was even bothered by it, they actually laughed when he made the comment.  I wanna know where women's self respect is?  Is it hiding?  Are they afraid of the repercussions of challenging the patriarch?  I'm thinking some sort of focus group or interviews to achieve this.  Also, I've been thinking about marginalized cultures a lot.  I have the inkling that wives of doctors, or even spouses of doctors, could be a marginalized culture.  Here is my reasoning so far; spouses of doctors are expected to act, speak, and look a certain way.  When a spouse of a doctor behaves differently than expected then there is an upset of the group (trust me I do this almost every time I'm around a group of dr.'s wives.  I also promise I don't try, on purpose, to upset the group as a whole.  Maybe it's just my personality that causes scenes).  Also, I realized this week that the wealth/status that comes with being a doctors spouse limits them.  For example, only one other couple under the age of 40 lives in our neighborhood.  We own a wonderful, beautiful home, that we work very hard to have. Yet, none of our friends live around us.  Just my thinking . . . . any thoughts? 

Also, Kyle and I are discussing beginning the adoption process. Don't get your hopes up it will be years before we adopt a child.  However, I've thought about writing down the process, as it pertains to us.  Either in a diary form or some more formal form, maybe one day to be turned into a book.  Any thoughts? 

Okay that's all my thoughts for now . . . I think.  

My husband recently went to see the new movie "The Blind Side." Shortly after it came out critics began their usual hatred towards the movie.  I read the critics "reviews" only b/c one caught my eye.  The critics of "The Blind Side" feel that it's just another movie that shows how great white people are. 

Note the following will be a disagreement with the critics of "The Blind Side" and has the ability to become a rant (that is my only warning)

First, critics argue that Tuohy family only adopted Michael Oher because their "White Guilt".  I will be the first to say that I don't believe in "White Guilt."  If you read the story of Michael Oher (his memoirs) the Tuohy family adopted Oher out of love.  They saw a kid in need and took him into their home and he became part of their family.  So, if I did believe in "White Guilt," which I don't, after reading the story I know that guilt didn't have anything to do with Michael becoming their son. 

Since I'm on the subject of "White Guilt" and how I believe it's a bunch of malarkey here's why;

1. My skin color doesn't make me feel bad for other people that don't happen to have my skin color.  Frankly, I'd like to be tan all the time not pasty pale.  I will not buy into the idea that being white has been an advantage (White privilege).  I've been in classes that teach "White Privilege," I've heard several other's say they have guilt from being privileged and that "White Privilege" occurs no matter how poor/low income the white person was growing up, still I don't believe it at least not for me.                                                                                                                                                                     2. The idea that I should feel bad b/c I'm white is asinine.  I will not feel bad b/c God made me white and other's a variety of colors.  I don't believe that God want's me to feel bad, privileged, or guilty about how he created me.   3. as a white woman that will adopt children, of what may be a variety of races, let me say my husband and I will adopt out of love, not guilt.  God will place whatever child he has created for us in our home, be that black, white, or any other color.  Let us remember that most people that do adopt are white families and they don't tend to want to adopt children of color because of the ignorant souls that assume that any white woman with a colored child must mean she had an affair with a man of color.  These women don't want to deal with the questions or scenes created at ignorant people's remarks.  All of you that know me will know questions and scenes are not things that bother me.  I've asked myself, "How will I react to ignorance about the races of possible adopted children?" and the only answer I can come up with is education. 

Second, what in the heck is so wrong with a white family being shown doing something good?  Yes, the Tuohy family did a good thing by helping a kid in need.  Yet, this movie is not about a white family being good it's about a kid that needed help to get out of a bad situation so that he could become something better.  Furthermore, why should white people have to be shown as anything but what they are?  The truth is some white people are good and some are bad, just like every other race (good and bad people exist in both).

Third, I get that critics job is to point out all possible flaws, however, the idea and purpose of the movie has gotten lost in their criticisms.  I get that some critics are rhetoricians that want to know the why behind everything (can't say I'm not one of these people) but the why is not always motivated by something bad.  I can not for the life of me figure out why society would rather see the bad in people, or the possible bad, than their good (or even the possibility of their good). 

I will now end said rant.

So . . .

*I've continued to work long hours.  I'm a little frustrated about it but ya know I wanted a job and now I've got one. I was always told that working non-profit was hard.  I've come to realized that it really is that hard.

*It's fall.  Not the pretty fall of NE Oklahoma but pretty none-the-less.

*I'm continually challenging myself to keep the house always picked up and cleaned, so that I don't spend the whole weekend doing a mass cleaning/pickup.  There have been ups-and-downs to this.  I never realized how bad I am about picking up after myself as I do tasks.

*Halloween has come and gone.  I'm glad I'm a Halloween scrudge.  I just think it's a waste and often frightening that adults want to dress up like nurses and pimps.  I did hand out candy to about 50 kids in our neighborhood.  One kid came back several times cause we gave out "good" candy according to him.  I managed to only eat 4 pieces myself. 

*Looking forward to Thanksgiving. My parents will be coming down, which will be nice haven't seen them in a while.

*Not looking forward to Winter but I guess it has to come for Summer to come again.  At least here in Oklahoma it happens that way.

Think that's it for now.