Comments on: I believe in Romance http://segullah.org/up-close/book-reviews/how-to/ Mormon women blogging about the peculiar and the treasured Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:08:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Justine http://segullah.org/up-close/book-reviews/how-to/#comment-64618 Justine Sat, 01 Mar 2008 13:45:41 +0000 http://segullah.org/book-challenge/how-to/#comment-64618 Good point, indeed, Maralise. I'd love to be able to claim romanticism as part of myself. You've logic-trained me there. Good point, indeed, Maralise. I’d love to be able to claim romanticism as part of myself. You’ve logic-trained me there.

]]> By: Dalene http://segullah.org/up-close/book-reviews/how-to/#comment-64509 Dalene Sat, 01 Mar 2008 08:16:41 +0000 http://segullah.org/book-challenge/how-to/#comment-64509 Excellent point. I'm going to ponder... Excellent point. I’m going to ponder…

]]> By: maralise http://segullah.org/up-close/book-reviews/how-to/#comment-64502 maralise Sat, 01 Mar 2008 07:49:27 +0000 http://segullah.org/book-challenge/how-to/#comment-64502 Here's the thing: I think we're all Romantics. I think that someone of faith must be a romantic because we believe in something whose proof lies ONLY in feelings and thoughts. Think of the pioneers, arguably realistic and practical people----who crossed a barren landscape to an unknown location because a man had a dream about it. Who believed in a religion that seemed even more of a farce than it does today. Sometimes I wonder if this dichotomy (Romantic/Realist) is not so much of a dichotomy at all. But if it's a circle where the extremes meet in the middle, co-mingling and existing inexplicably together. If Mormonism isn't a powerful example of that co-mingling, I'm not sure what is. Here’s the thing: I think we’re all Romantics. I think that someone of faith must be a romantic because we believe in something whose proof lies ONLY in feelings and thoughts. Think of the pioneers, arguably realistic and practical people—-who crossed a barren landscape to an unknown location because a man had a dream about it. Who believed in a religion that seemed even more of a farce than it does today. Sometimes I wonder if this dichotomy (Romantic/Realist) is not so much of a dichotomy at all. But if it’s a circle where the extremes meet in the middle, co-mingling and existing inexplicably together. If Mormonism isn’t a powerful example of that co-mingling, I’m not sure what is.

]]> By: Angela http://segullah.org/up-close/book-reviews/how-to/#comment-64393 Angela Sat, 01 Mar 2008 02:59:57 +0000 http://segullah.org/book-challenge/how-to/#comment-64393 I too too love your comment about kindness. I was planning on being cool and quoting you to yourself, but then I noticed that Brooke beat me to the punch right out of the gate. There's a part of me that believes the kind of "romance" you are describing is, actually, the ability to live without fear. To do what you want to do, because you want to do it, and trusting yourself . . . that your own desires are good, and given to you by God. And that if you fail, you will be okay, and that if you succeed, you will be okay, too. But the idea that there is a future ahead of you that you're excited to explore instead of being afraid to face is a romantic idea, to be sure. But I also like to think that kind of romance has a lot to do with faith and hope and even charity. Faith in yourself (and God) and hope in the future combine to free you up to live with charity toward the people around you. Does that paragraph even make sense? Probably not. But it does to me, and romantic that I am, I'll still press "submit" and hope you like the comment anyway :-). I too too love your comment about kindness. I was planning on being cool and quoting you to yourself, but then I noticed that Brooke beat me to the punch right out of the gate.

There’s a part of me that believes the kind of “romance” you are describing is, actually, the ability to live without fear. To do what you want to do, because you want to do it, and trusting yourself . . . that your own desires are good, and given to you by God. And that if you fail, you will be okay, and that if you succeed, you will be okay, too. But the idea that there is a future ahead of you that you’re excited to explore instead of being afraid to face is a romantic idea, to be sure. But I also like to think that kind of romance has a lot to do with faith and hope and even charity. Faith in yourself (and God) and hope in the future combine to free you up to live with charity toward the people around you.

Does that paragraph even make sense? Probably not. But it does to me, and romantic that I am, I’ll still press “submit” and hope you like the comment anyway :-) .

]]> By: Dalene http://segullah.org/up-close/book-reviews/how-to/#comment-64343 Dalene Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:32:43 +0000 http://segullah.org/book-challenge/how-to/#comment-64343 I too love your comment about kindness. As for me? Realist. Definitely. With cynic overtones. But there must be a Romantic in me somewhere or I likely wouldn't have been so touched watching my grandparents enter their "Golden Years" with a growing tenderness towards each other. The last words my grandfather said to me before he died (and this was after a deeply painful episode of dealing with his dementia) were, "Take care of her. Make sure she's OK." I too love your comment about kindness.

As for me? Realist. Definitely. With cynic overtones. But there must be a Romantic in me somewhere or I likely wouldn’t have been so touched watching my grandparents enter their “Golden Years” with a growing tenderness towards each other. The last words my grandfather said to me before he died (and this was after a deeply painful episode of dealing with his dementia) were, “Take care of her. Make sure she’s OK.”

]]> By: Angie http://segullah.org/up-close/book-reviews/how-to/#comment-64316 Angie Fri, 29 Feb 2008 23:20:52 +0000 http://segullah.org/book-challenge/how-to/#comment-64316 I am by nature a romantic. In everything. On a meirs-briggs inventory, I am off the charts intuitive. For a long time I didn't even notice the stuff that other people responded to in a sensory way (Oh, the floor is covered in mink? I hadn't noticed. I was busy thinking about Emily Dickinson). Somehow in the course of mothering 5 children, figuring out how to survive on one income, and being married to a realist, I have swung much more in the other direction. I now struggle alot with how to parent the child who is the most like me. She is brilliant, in a non-linear short of way, but doesn't function all that well in a practical sense, and I wonder how much to encourage her natural bent and how much to help her think like everyone else. I like the idea of just letting her be, but I don't want her to be lost when it comes to real life either. I am by nature a romantic. In everything. On a meirs-briggs inventory, I am off the charts intuitive. For a long time I didn’t even notice the stuff that other people responded to in a sensory way (Oh, the floor is covered in mink? I hadn’t noticed. I was busy thinking about Emily Dickinson). Somehow in the course of mothering 5 children, figuring out how to survive on one income, and being married to a realist, I have swung much more in the other direction. I now struggle alot with how to parent the child who is the most like me. She is brilliant, in a non-linear short of way, but doesn’t function all that well in a practical sense, and I wonder how much to encourage her natural bent and how much to help her think like everyone else. I like the idea of just letting her be, but I don’t want her to be lost when it comes to real life either.

]]> By: Claudia http://segullah.org/up-close/book-reviews/how-to/#comment-64266 Claudia Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:10:12 +0000 http://segullah.org/book-challenge/how-to/#comment-64266 Once there was one of those psychological quizzes in a woman's magazine. Its goal was to asses sensuality. The question I remember was if you walked into a room where the floor was carpeted in mink would you a. kick off our shoes and walk bare foot b. get down on your hands and knees and feel it between your gingers or c. the response I gave before I knew it was even on the list, take your clothes off and lay down in it. I got a very high sensuality score. But, in reality, by today's definition I am not a particularly sensual person. The truth is I would only lay naked on a mink carpet if no one else were around. The person I want to be is ultra romantic. The person I am is practical to the core. The person I want to be always. sees the glass half full. But the me who deals with life sees the glass just the way it is neither half full nor half empty but holding a given amount. The person I want to be spends money on lovely romantic kinds of things. The real me just can't stand to waste a penny. The person I want to be is always kind. The real me is often thoughtless and unwittingly cruel. Having said all that studies show people who are realistic are more accurate in their assessment of the world. But, people who see the glass half full are happier. I'll sit on the fence for now. Once there was one of those psychological quizzes in a woman’s magazine. Its goal was to asses sensuality. The question I remember was if you walked into a room where the floor was carpeted in mink would you a. kick off our shoes and walk bare foot b. get down on your hands and knees and feel it between your gingers or c. the response I gave before I knew it was even on the list, take your clothes off and lay down in it. I got a very high sensuality score.

But, in reality, by today’s definition I am not a particularly sensual person. The truth is I would only lay naked on a mink carpet if no one else were around.

The person I want to be is ultra romantic. The person I am is practical to the core. The person I want to be always. sees the glass half full. But the me who deals with life sees the glass just the way it is neither half full nor half empty but holding a given amount. The person I want to be spends money on lovely romantic kinds of things. The real me just can’t stand to waste a penny. The person I want to be is always kind. The real me is often thoughtless and unwittingly cruel.

Having said all that studies show people who are realistic are more accurate in their assessment of the world. But, people who see the glass half full are happier. I’ll sit on the fence for now.

]]> By: Justine http://segullah.org/up-close/book-reviews/how-to/#comment-64208 Justine Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:38:53 +0000 http://segullah.org/book-challenge/how-to/#comment-64208 I am far too much of a realist. I tend even toward cynic. I'm trying to let the romantic in, but he's having a hard time finding a comfy chair to make himself at home in. I am far too much of a realist. I tend even toward cynic. I’m trying to let the romantic in, but he’s having a hard time finding a comfy chair to make himself at home in.

]]> By: Brooke http://segullah.org/up-close/book-reviews/how-to/#comment-64202 Brooke Fri, 29 Feb 2008 18:25:29 +0000 http://segullah.org/book-challenge/how-to/#comment-64202 "It’s so easy to talk about kindness, so easy to fall for its allure and so difficult to actually be kind." i love that, mara. and romantic or realist? i think i'm both, at different times. “It’s so easy to talk about kindness, so easy to fall for its allure and so difficult to actually be kind.”

i love that, mara.

and romantic or realist? i think i’m both, at different times.

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