Friday, June 6, 2014

The garden is overflowing

Hello, dear readers. I’m sorry I’ve been missing this week. I have been very busy with work, and then so tired in the evenings, I haven’t been on the computer and doing my blogging as much as I’ve wanted to.

Our garden is bursting at the seams, it seems.



I harvested some of the Romaine lettuce, and Larry pulled some onions. No tomatoes, cucumbers, or other veggies yet.





I’m looking forward to a nice salad with fresh lettuce and onions.

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Thank you to those who read and shared the CNN article “Religious OCD: ‘I’m going to hell.’”
The point of the article was not to paint religion in a good or bad light. It was to bring light to a subject that many people don’t understand. It was to let people suffering from OCD know they are not alone.
But many of the comments on CNN’s website were arguments about religion: whether or not God existed, whether or not a certain religion was the right one, who had the answers, who didn’t.
I didn’t read all of them—not nearly all of them. I couldn’t stomach the disrespect.
Not all the comments I read were like that. I appreciate all those who engaged in respectful discussion.

Religion doesn’t cause OCD. Believing or not believing in God doesn’t cause OCD.
OCD is probably genetic, or a mix of genetics and environment. The way that OCD manifests itself in my life, and in the lives of others with OCD, may reflect what’s important to us, or what we fear.
Being in an environment like my strict Christian high school probably was not the best place for me as a teenager. If I had been in treatment for OCD at that time, I could have dealt with my doubts and fears much better. But religion didn’t cause my OCD.

So I was disturbed by the tone of the comments.
But then I came upon an article by Parker J. Palmer that helped me put things in perspective. It is called “Reflections on the Inner Work of Holding Paradox.
In the article, Palmer states, “For me, holding paradox means thinking about some (but not all) things as "both-ands" instead of "either-ors."
For example, he says, when we disagree with someone about a religious or political issue, we sometimes think that we are right and the other person is wrong.
He goes on to say:
“But both-and thinking can lead to something much more creative: ‘Maybe I don't have everything right, and maybe he/she doesn't have everything wrong. Maybe both of us see part of the truth. If I speak and listen in that spirit, we both might learn something that will expand our understanding. We might even be able to keep this relationship and conversation going.’"

That’s the kind of conversation I’d like to have. It’s better just to leave the divisive comments behind and concentrate on discussions created out of respect.

Altavista’s annual Uncle Billy’s Day Festival is this weekend. It will include a carnival, music, a craft show, an art contest, food vendors, fireworks (Saturday night), and more. But I may not make it. I am covering two high school graduations for the paper on Saturday.

Whether it’s attending a festival, working in your garden, hanging out at the house, or whatever you choose to do, I hope you have a great weekend!

15 comments:

  1. Wow, your garden is looking great. The lettuce looks delicious..I love salads. The carnival sounds like a fun time, enjoy your weekend!

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  2. Oh Tina wise words from Parker J. Palmer indeed. I am sorry people did not get it I did and I think you are brave to help others who are suffering from OCD and religion is not the cause for sure.
    Your garden is awesome how wonderful to eat fresh everyday knowing all your work paid off. Yummy wish I lived closer. Have fun at the festival. HUGS B

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  3. Your garden is looking absolutely amazing Tina. Wow. You're gonna have some awesome eatin' this summer! And you're so right about how anything involving religion and/or politics is almost impossible to discuss without someone getting angry. We really do take our politics personally don't we?

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  4. religion and politics are two topics i try to avoid reading comments on. people can be rabid in their opinions and cannot see any other sides to the issue but their own. and we humans have such a knack for attacking others in the name of our 'faith'. those that didn't understand the article or take time to try to understand it - well, i'm sorry for them. do not take it to heart. if even one person suffering from religious ocd sees the message, and thus knows they are not alone, it is worth it.

    go eat some garden greens! you're bursting at the seams!

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  5. I'm amazed at how fast your garden has grown. On the other hand I'm not amazed at some of the comments on your article. I was raised in an evangelical setting. It was not good for me but certainly was good for many others. I wish they could say the same about me. some of the more divisive comment would bother me.

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  6. Your garden is INCREDIBLE! I bet it tastes incredible. :)

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  7. Your garden is delightful, Tina. You will have many delicious meals from it. Enjoy the festivities this weekend. There are some in my neck of the woods too!

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  8. Your garden looks amazing!

    It seems like religion can bring out the worst in people in online comments - I have a hard time understanding how people can be so unsupportive.

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  9. It all looks so yummy Tina!

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  10. Wow -- your garden is yielding! We're looking forward to strawberries soon and my herbs are great but it will be a bit before anything else. Sounsd like you have a great weekend planned! Enjoy!

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  11. i wish we had the lands to have a fresh home garden. that would be just lovely. i dream of it. my parents did as a kid. you enjoy! ( :

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  12. WoW Tina, the garden looks so amazing. I have a touch of garden envy, I think I started too late!!

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  13. I have read comments on CNN articles with regard to religion before, and I have often found a lot if the commenters to be really vicious. One time there was an article about Howie Mandel and his OCD, and I shared my story in the comments. Wow. Really cruel responses. I even had a couple people try to tell me I didn't have OCD. Huh? I've only been diagnosed twice (once by an expert from the Mass General Hospital OCD Clinic) and I've spoken with dozens upon dozens of others who share my symptoms. I can't possibly understand what the agenda is of some of the commenters, but it's certainly not to be kind and respectful! I'm sorry.

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  14. Your garden looks fabulous! Your veggies are so much more ahead than mine. Well, having planted them only this week is a contributing factor to that...LOL...

    People get hot under the collar when it comes to politics or religion. In my opinion, there is no right or wrong to these choices. It's all about perspective. My perception is my reality, therefore it's right for me. The same goes for you, and everyone else. We should agree to disagree instead of getting aggressive with one another.

    OCD is something that very few people understand. Like any other mental health issues, because there are no visible ailments/scars/handicaps people disrespect it, make crude comments about it, say inane things about it, etc. It's mostly due to ignorance. And people makes comments based on assumptions or whatever they've been told by someone else. Educating oneself about it, any pretty much any other mental health issue, would go a long way.

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