10 Facts About The Sinister Porpoise

[sinisterporpoise]

 I've never really done one of these.  I usually just did not bother.  My tendency to become obsessed over things means some things become obvious. People who follow me online know I'm that I'm left-handed, transgender, and an Ex-Mormon.  They also know I did some work as an asexual reporter.   However, these lists usually contain more obscure facts that may or may not reveal something about the person. Here are some of the more obscure details.

1.) I qualified for the US Navy's nuclear program.  I spent six weeks in the service, so I usually don't mention it.
2.) I will not refer to a sub as a hoagie. (I will not explain this in great detail. It deals with unpleasant school memories.)
3.) My first "real job" was in a super market meat room.
4.) An FLDS website used me as a source. (It's still a bit of an embarrassment to me.)
5.) I like the supernatural mystery genre but hate the show Supernatural
6.) I have always despised the tie as an article of clothing.
7.) I sprained my ankle the first time I tried to wear elevated shoes
8.)  I once went through 3 clutches in a six-week period. (I no longer drive stick cars. Damn coordination problems.)
9.) I ran a dial-up bulletin board system in High School.
10.) I am one of the few people with any computer science training who likes Pascal.

Comments

[silk_dragon_zen]

I've never watched that show (Supernatural) since I'm not really into TV anymore, for some reason. But I like supernatural mysteries that involve some actual spiritual growth on the part of the characters. In other words, not only do I like well developed characters, but I especially like watching them psychologically mature over the course of the story, book, series, movie.

[sinisterporpoise]

Supernatural always seems to me to be nothing more than an attempt to get people in their late teens and early twenties to write more slash fiction. I much prefer Kolchak: the Night Stalker, which had no romantic elements. The more modern versions: The X-Files, Haven, and Sleepy Hollow all seem to include a romantic interest. Constantine, so far has not.

As far as the books, the only series I've delved into is the Dresden Files, and I don't see much character development in the title character, but a lot of the characters around him change as the series progresses.

[silk_dragon_zen]

Ah, that makes sense given everything I've seen about Supernatural from people I follow on tumblr.

My own life story — which includes all my past and future incarnations, not to mention some vague relationship to Romania (and oddly Israel) definitely constitutes a paranormal mystery — would never sell: I'm a mostly aromantic totally asexual person. Yes, I have deep friendships and I'm even in an aromantic relationship, but these are all of the non-drama, happy domestic tranquility kind. The main selling point of my story is all the synchronicity around the Symbol (what people colloquially call an “archetype”) that I am in the collective unconscious. I think people would be disappointed that I'm not a ravenous vampire. (Though I have this sinking feeling that in some future incarnation, I will become such a vampire, due to nanotechnology gone amok.)

[sinisterporpoise]

Growing up in a Mormon family, the concept of past lives is one I have difficulty accepting. I would not mind being wrong, however, and the theology of the church teaches that there always was something that was you. Intelligences, Pre-existence, our Mortal incarnation, and the afterlife.

My original ideas about gender identity dovetail nicely with the beliefs though, and Otherkin would probably feel comfortable with them. Because, ostensibly, everyone is the product of a Heavenly Father and Mother in that belief and the process is -- supposedly -- the same as creating children in *this* life, it followed to me that spirits have gender. I thought that sometimes a female spirit gets placed into a male body or a male spirit into a female body for reasons that are not clearly understood.

I've rejected most of those beliefs, although the idea of constantly struggling to improve still appeals to me, although I've seen it be greatly abused in corporate culture.

Now, if I were to believe in past lives, I'd probably think I spent some time in Ancient Rome and in Germanic cultures. (Including the one belonging to the Pennsylvania Dutch in this incarnation. Too bad I missed the cool stuff like the practicing Pow-Wows.) It might explain why Wicca never appealed to me in anyway, but Asatru does.

[silk_dragon_zen]

I had to look that one up: couldn't remember what Asatru was. Then I found this article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ásatrú_in_the_United_States

As for reincarnation, there's no reason you or anyone else should accept that belief (or any other, really). I just happen to find deep meaning in the idea that I have had other bodies in the past, and will have other bodies in the future. That this body — as ill-fitting as it is for me both in physical appearance and in physical ability — isn't the only body I will ever have. But it's much more than that. In fact, that “logic” wasn't what finally got me to actually believe in reincarnation. Basically, as I experienced it, the Universe (or G-d) had to hit me over the head *many* times with “evidence”, before I finally broke down and accepted reincarnation as a “reality” (or central truth) of my life.

Absent being raised in a culture that believes in reincarnation or absent such an experience as mine, I don't see why anyone would necessarily believe in reincarnation. Just as with other spiritual beliefs, there isn't any scientific proof of it. And it's not falsifiable by testing. So it would seem to be exclusively in the realm of faith.

If you find yourself believing anything at all, chances are it has something to do with the combination of your brain's wiring and your life experiences. And contrary to what certain modern Atheists say, it's not bad for your brain to have faith, since faith is something that many humans are wired to experience as a natural part of life (just like some humans are wired to like certain things and dislike other things (e.g.: music styles, food, etc.)). And for those people who have no faith, that's pretty normal, too. My sister is an Atheist and her moral compass is pretty strong.

And many religions have that thing about constantly improving oneself in the “spiritual or psychological growth” sense (not in the “accumulation of wealth” sense). So if you ever do find yourself wanting to take up another faith, you wouldn't have to give up that belief.

[sinisterporpoise]

The Mormons belief that one can become a God or Goddess by living in the correct way, performing the necessary ceremonies, et cetera. The religions believes in offering people second chances, which is why the church practices baptism for the dead.

However, I'm not inclined to adopt any religion right now, and Asatru has problems with racist elements within it. Now, my own spiritual journey went from going to a place where all the answers were provided easily to a place where it's okay not to know. This is probably why I find things like philosophical Taoism interesting. The idea that life and the universe of a grand mystery that we are simply a part of appeals to me, even if there are some things in its main book I find disturbing. (This could be said for any religious text.)

[silk_dragon_zen]

I like that aspect of Taoism, too. I haven't read the Tao Te Jing, so I don't know which parts are disturbing, but now I'm curious.