My story revolves around contracting Lyme disease. Hiking in a state park weeks before going to the Chicago Blues festival, and missed the deer tick behind my knee. Partied for most of a day and a half and had the time of my life. Incubation period now over, exhausted and drunk from the festival I woke up thinking I might be dying. Doctors then antibiotics then bedrest while hurting as bad as I ever have and then some.

Knock on door drags me out of bed, answering the door was one of the most exhausting things I've ever done. Get to the door expecting family coming over to care for me... Large lady in a floral dress stopped by to tell me about the good news. Needless to say her message of love was ill received.

In a conversation with an evangelical we got onto the topic of the creation. I asked her did she believe that Adam was created as a whole adult human being and that god then took one of his ribs out and created a fully adult Eve with it. She said yes.....and I said WOW ! and asked her how she could believe something so unbelievable. Her answer is what I expected her to say.....”Its in Genesis, of course it’s true, the bible is the word of God “. You can’t have a rational discussion with a person who has such irrational beliefs.

I've never ever cringed when interacting with anybody. I just think how cute it is that they still believe in fairy tales... And the way their little eyes light up when they tell me their story... Makes me happy.. But later I get a tad bit sad cause I know it's a fairy tale... And they don't.

i've written of this before but i'll try to summarize here: i've been an atheist since the age of 15 but i have always enjoyed the culture of my people and will always consider myself a jew, too. toward the end of the year jews get ignored by media while christmas reigns, but one day, when i was in my mid-20s and being car-pooled into work at the department of justice, i heard a chanukah song on the car radio. i was so delighted about this that i mentioned it to a coworker, not one of whom i was fond, or who was fond of me, but she was someone with whom i worked in close proximity. her response was "if you don't believe in jesus christ, what have you got to sing about?" it wouldn't have done any good to mention, at this juncture, that there are no gods, so i gently said "his father?" she frowned, puzzled. "you know... god?" her response was to grumble "well, the catholics have been suffering a lot longer than the jews anyway!" and stalk off. i found the entire encounter idiotic. i tried to talk to her from within her bubble of reality but she was, let's face it, just not a nice person, and stupid to boot.

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