Comments on: Painting 101

By: Geo

Geo — Wed, 05 May 2010 23:38:55 +0000

When I was a senior in high school I was voted “Most Dependable” in our graduating class, along with a boy I’d had a crush on since junior high. I remember being bewildered about the title—where did it come from and what did it really mean? I have to laugh when I look back on that now, because neither one of us was dependable. The boy was actually quite a rascal, and I—well, I was simply untested. When was I ever dependable back in those days? Never, that’s when. Okay, maybe I could be depended upon to NOT party, to blush easily, to pass notes in class, and to shy away from any attention focused in my general direction. Is that dependable? Really?

Since then, I’ve been given credit and discredit for so many bogus qualities. I think most of us go around getting each other all wrong. I used to think it happened more to shy people, as they are so often mistaken for snobs or sages or whatever, but the longer I live the more I believe it’s a universally applied mistake. It’s good practice to try to get rid of our blinders, to weed out our sensitivities, and to nurture a deep sense of humor.

What a bunch of bumblebutts people are. But I like them more all the time.

By: Melody

Melody — Sun, 02 May 2010 15:19:14 +0000

Dalene, I love this post, the title, the beautiful conclusion wrapping me back to the title, the sensitive and universal message.

Just now I am thinking of a scene in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. A little (white) girl is talking to the Morgan Freeman (black) character.
CHILD: Did God paint you?
AZEEM: Did God paint me? [Smiles] For certain.
CHILD: Why?
AZEEM: Because Allah loves wondrous variety.

By: Sharlee

Sharlee — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 23:01:45 +0000

I love that we are all such a mass (or mess? ) of contradictions. We do a real a disservice to each other when we try to pigeon-hole people.

Those who don’t know me well often assume that I’m very serious and straight-laced. And I can be, I suppose. But far more often I’m just plain goofy and a little bit silly. I love ballet, museums, and classical music, but I also like driving tractors and milking cows. I generally prefer obscure foreign art films, but I also dig “The Three Amigos” and love, love, love sappy musicals like “The Sound of Music”! I feel equally comfortable in a skirt and stilettos or sweat pants and flip-flops. I’m a fiscal conservative, a social liberal (well, in Utah, at least), and a political moderate. I’d love to do lunch with both Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin (not at the same time, preferably ). Depending on the situation or my mood, I can be extroverted or introverted, the life of the party or a real stick-in-the-mud, emotional or supremely rational. I love edamame, but hate peas. I can’t stand milk, but couldn’t live without cheese. I think spiders are kinda cute and don’t really mind snakes, but MICE!? Full-blown phobia.

Go figure.

As President Hinckley might say: “Isn’t it wonderful!?”

Great post, Dalene.

By: Rynell

Rynell — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:49:36 +0000

I am nothing if not contradictory.

By: m2theh

m2theh — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 17:44:18 +0000

I thought that I could have nothing in common with someone in my ward because she seemed very churchy, and we struggle with praying every day. Then I found out she likes to read a lot of the same books I do and watches some of the same shows, like CSI. Serves me right for judging a book by the cover.

By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 03:08:18 +0000

First off, I think I want to be Dalene when I grow up.

I love the brushes analogy. I’ve gone through a bit of a rocky year at church, and I think at the core is a lot of “roller-brush” perceptions. I felt the women in my ward alienated me because they thought they had nothing in common with me, but I never tried to show them otherwise. I’ll not be making that same mistake again.

By: Giggles

Giggles — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 00:11:18 +0000

People’s perceptions are an interesting part of identity. I know people make assumptions about me, so I try to control what parts of my identity are revealed when to try and control the directions their assumptions take.

Generally I find that people assume you are just like them and think like them. That’s a hard assumption to break. It’s probably because it’s difficult to imagine another way to think about an issue than the way you think about it.

By: Melissa Y.

Melissa Y. — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 23:16:06 +0000

I love the image of painting. I’ll try to remember that I need to use a bunch of small brushes when painting character.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 23:03:09 +0000

Loved this.

By: she-bop

she-bop — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 21:42:02 +0000

I loved this post Dalene. Thank you. I have a lot to say on the subject, but it’s too close to the surface right now. One thing I know about me, is I get too caught up in stuff. I think too much, am too sensitive, and then I just want to shut down. I think I seem pretty sure of myself to others, but inside is a little girl that still wishes I could hide in a closet and it would all go away. I try really hard to be nice, I try to think of ways to do service, but I still feel like I struggle to have friends. Luckily I married my best friend, and as long as he likes me, I don’t really care what others think. Someone told me once that I was intimidating. It has really caused me to think about what I do to project that image, and how to change it. I sometimes have a hard time relating to adults. Too many people grow up to be old. Meaning, they lose their spunk. I really have to try sometimes to just be nice. One funny thing to add – many of my friends and even family consider me to be the liberal of the bunch. How surprised they would be to find out just how much of a Conservative I am. Politics is something I will never talk about. I think people think I have no opinion on the matter, when in reality I most certainly do.