Jedi Quiz

via "Master" iswari

Obi-Wan Kenobi You scored 80% wisdom, 34% aggression, 62% power, and 86% morality!

You are one of the wisest Jedi of them all, and have had a very eventful career full of failures and successes. You are a skilled fighter, having defeated many powerful opponents in your time. You are not overly aggressive, though. You are more reserved and collected. Your sense of morality is without question, and you are a model Jedi.

My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender: You scored higher than 99% on wisdom You scored higher than 0% on aggression You scored higher than 0% on power You scored higher than 99% on morality

Link: The Famous Jedi or Sith Test written by SarumantheMad on Ok Cupid

A Growing Edge

I was talking with Kim (my shamanic teacher) last month, telling her that I felt like I wanted to find a way to take some serious alone/retreat time. She said, "Ah ha -- I think this is for you," reached into her bag, and pulled out a sheet of paper describing a four day "Restoration of Land and Soul" journey. It involves hiking 2-1/2 miles into a canyon site (described as a "gentle" hike), the next day spent reclaiming the land from old fire circles and non-native vegetation which has invaded the canyon, and then a 24-hour solo journey on the land, hiking out together on the fourth day. As soon as she showed me the info, my spirit leaped, and I said, "Yes, this is what I want to do."

I sent my $50 registration fee in yesterday, and received several documents about preparation via email.

I'm scared.

I'm scared of the vegetarian diet, of needing to pack in enough nourishing food for myself for four days of lunches and whatever meals I want during my solo time. I'm afraid of being able to borrow or buy the appropriate equipment (none of which I have right now, not even work gloves). I did but a good hat yesterday at the zoo. . . but even Indiana Jones needed more than a cool hat.

The sheltered, spoiled part of me (which is actually very large) is jumping up and down and gibbering in not-quite terror, but serious alarm.

Then there's the calm, mature part of me that's saying gently, "Facing the fear is part of what this is about, dear. Doing the preparation: the equipment, the physical prep, the emotional prep, the spiritual prep, is part of the journey. We need this experience right now."

Sheltered me continues to gibber, but I'm not paying any attention to her.
Well, I'm trying not to pay too much attention to her.

( Cut for Length & Shamanistic Woo-Woo Reflections )

Being in the Eastern Washington desert in July is going to be a physical challenge in and of itself. Fortunately, the resistance and cardio training I've been doing has already helped my strength. And I've been reminded several times that physical capacity has as much to do with the mind, with "heart/courage", as it does with muscle strength. But to prepare, I'm going to need to spend more time outside in the heat, make some changes to my diet to more whole foods and less animal flesh (yikes!!), and do some diligent preparation on every level.

If anyone feels like praying for me as I make my preparations, I would appreciate it. I want to be ready to undertake this adventure safely, and not be a drain on the group's resources or spirit, or put myself needlessly in difficulty by not having something I need or not being in the right physical or mental shape.

Sands of Time

My first boyfriend turned 40 on Friday.
It also marked the (*gets out calculator. . . *) 24th anniversary of my first kiss.
It was in the front seat of a Volkswagen bug, after a showing of Superman II, over a stack of X-Men comic books which he was loaning me.

We had a long and tumultuous relationship (ranging off and on from that summer between our sophomore and junior years of high school into our college years). For a long time he was the best friend I ever had, someone with whom I really came to know the truth of the saying, "A friend is someone who knows everything about you and loves you anyway."

We haven't had any communication for around six years now.

Maybe it's true that we don't have anything in common anymore, no place where we have sufficient common ground to talk or be together.
But I still miss his friendship.