Retired now. What a tremendous relief and joy it is. When I look back on the daily stress of having been a sole proprietor/self employed, Idon't see how I got through it. Most of us cannot go through life without some mind numbing shocks and set backs. Now I can say that it was necessary for me to endure some of them...some I didn't deserve; ...but in the end, it brought me to what really matters. The end result of enormous struggle and many hard trials, I experienced a "Theophany". ( "a manifestation, though not always physical, of a deity to a human person" ). That is a staggering claim for anyone to make. Some monks spend their entire lives in a monastery hoping for one, and yet never experience one. "How do you know it wasn't imagined?", someone might well ask. "Because of the astounding things,the revelations, and events which followed", is my answer. "Can you prove any of it?", they might continue. "No I can't", is the sad answer.
I have a number of hobbies, interests, skills, and normal human experiences to talk about and share on Gather.com. But the one subject that can be the most contentious would be Theology, I have discovered. It would be a bit like stating, " I think the rich should not have to pay taxes...only the working poor"...what a stupid thing to say!! But you know what? That is how this nation voted this past mid term. This astounds and mystifies me. We live in an information age, and yet the voting public is woefully and tragically misinformed, misguided, and misled. Even more startling to me, is that if I bring up the subject of "Yes there is a Creator God, who did indeed 'terraform this planet and fill it with life, and it didn't take several hundred million years to accomplish this, before He visted us in human form...(He would not have waited that long!) But it is precisely THIS subject that gets me into the most trouble on blog sites. Therefore, I say up front, that I do not wish to discuss this with anyone disinclined to believe what I just said.
I have to say that much to my great disappointment, and shock, I have been virulently attacked by atheists, on blog sites. I honestly never realized that people who KNOW there is a Creator God would or could be so despised!
That way, we can keep this a pleasant, and fun experience. I won't even bring it up unless someone insists. Therefore, I list below here several hobbies and interests, and skills I have tried to develop in my life...all of them having nothing to do with Theology.
On Gather, I'm Looking For ...:
Hobby of the past 5 years: learning about HiFidelity systems, in particular about the retro technology of vacuum tubes. After I became profficient with the circuitry, ( that is to say, began to understand how it works ) I built a number of very fine sounding audio amps for home theater, or CD,DVD listening/watching pleasure...some for sale, also.
A really good sound system brings movies and music into your life in a grand, and sumptuous manner...it enriches our lives.
I have also leaned over many years, how to design and build wooden boats - both outboard motor type, and sail boats.
My double major in University was Art and Human Behavior. So I learned a lot about Psychology pn both the individual, and machro scale.
But it is drawing....in particular portraits and human figures...with good landscapes in the background. Having set aside my Tube Amp hobby for now, I am turning my attention back to drawing and painting...still gathering supplies, and making a space to do this in - but have some sketches to share.
