Contact Improvisation

Wow! I just watched the most amazing video for one of my classes. It was all about the style of dance known as contact improvisation. The video was entitled Common Ground. It showed how even people with disabilities can participate in dance. Contact improvisation involves stretching, rolling, balancing, sharing weight with a partner, and relaxing muscle tension. It is a type of dance that can be done equally between partners...even if one partner is disabled and the other is not. The goal is to communicate through the sense of touch. I thought it was wonderful to see people in wheelchairs be able to lean, balance, and move in a way that was so freeing to them. I think so many people with disabilities feel so trapped by those disabilities. I don't mean just physically. I think they feel emotionally and mentally trapped as well. This type of dance allows both disabled and non-disabled people the opportunity to get out of their comfort zones and interact in a positive way. When I was watching this video, I was thinking how therapeutic this type of dance is for everyone involved! It opened my eyes to something I was completely unaware even existed!

Thanksgiving

Ahhh...Thanksgiving. The warms smells of turkey, homemade rolls, and apple pie baking in the oven fill the air...as the women work away in the kitchen! As I have grown older, I have become a little bitter about Thanksgiving. Why is it that the men get to lay on the couch watching football while the women are in the kitchen frantically cooking and cleaning?

I really got frustrated the other day as we were planning for Thanksgiving. When I inquired about what time we would be eating, one woman replied, "Well, we will have to eat between football games." Ughhhhhhhh.... Apparently football has taken the place of good old family bonding.

I have to say that I don't look forward to Thanksgiving. I will spend the day trying not to walk in front of the television as I serve appetizers to the men lounged about in the living room. I will also have to try to keep the children from running through the living room. Heaven forbid, one of those guys misses an important play! After we hastily eat dinner between ball games, I will be one of many women cleaning up the kitchen. This is just not a good time in my book! But, as usual, I will put a smile on my face and grin and bear it...along with most of the female population in America!

Women and Religion

Women and religion. This is an extremely difficult subject for me. I am a very faithful person. I believe in God with all my heart. I believe in the power of prayer. I believe that God has a plan for all of us. Religion, or should I say spirituality, runs a deep thread through my life.

But, there are some things that disturb me about religion. I am a strong, independent woman with a voice. I often times find my voice lost in the male voices of my Southern Baptist upbringing. I do not think that wives should be submissive to their husbands at all costs. For one reason, this is unrealistic in today's world. Typically both men and women have to work to support their families. Therefore, I think they should have equality in their marriages. Secondly, I think women should be able to hold leadership positions within a church. By this, I mean they should be allowed to be ministers. Luckily, over the years, I have seen the tides turning in this direction. We have a woman Children's Minister in our church. I know of several other Baptist churches in our area that also have Children's Ministers that are women. But, this is not the norm. Thirdly, women should not have to stay in abusive marriages just to please their husbands. I do not think God meant for women to be battered and beat down. These are just a couple of my concerns I have regarding the negative qualities of religion.

On the other hand, there are many positive things about religion that I love. Church does provide a place for women to gather and socialize. There is great power in fellowship and friendship. I think this sense of belonging gives women feelings of worth and value. Church also provides women many leadership opportunities such as organizing events, teaching Sunday school, directing Vacation Bible School, etc. I am all for women being brought together in meaningful, positive ways!

So, I have conflicting views about religion. I think there are times when it can be overly extreme and other times when it is too passive. But, I love the Lord and I hope to be with Him in Heaven someday! Therefore, I'll stay faithful...