Inappropriate Conversations

92: Open Door policy with the Boss

The door is only as open as the mind inside the office.  For the success of both supervisor and employee, collaboration is crucial.  I have been most successful when I understood how my supervisor's performance was being assessed.  Likewise, I have been least successful when that type of information was withheld, making it impossible for me to make even small decisions to enable that success. Different Drummer: Toshiro Mifune

91: Putting Up or Shutting Up

Consider this an echo of sorts for the current episode of Dan Carlin's Common Sense podcast.  Frustrated with the feeling that complaining is all we seem to be capable of contributing to the political process, as it is now, Carlin has made a call to action.  I share his frustration.  So-called evangelical Christian pastors calling for the internment or extermination of all non-heterosexuals?  Proudly "radical" atheists suggesting that all faithful Christians are, in fact, mentally ill and may need to be institutionalized?  Clearly, our society is on the verge of breaking down completely, and our methods of communicating with each other must change before it's too late. Different Drummer: Statler & Waldorf Dan Carlin's blog: "A Concentration Of Forces"

90: Moments of Epiphany

As a storyteller, I did something I prefer to avoid in Inappropriate Conversations #79 by not finishing a story.  That was partly about running short of time.  Mainly, though, it was because the story took an abrupt turn as I realized something that stopped me in my tracks.  I've heard this called "epiphany" in literary criticism, where the short stories of James Joyce provide excellent examples.  It also happens in real life.  I'm often amazed at how even a small and simple piece of information can change not only perspectives but the very direction of our life-stories. Different Drummer: Paul McCrane

88: The Perspective of Growing Up

I was not a man when I first encountered "men's magazines" and I obtained beer and alcohol long before the legal drinking age, now or then.  Were these mistakes, or just typical parts of growing up?  The answers have a lot to do with age and perspective.  As a parent, I have worked to provide a different experience for my children.  On the other hand, it's possible that a childhood without any "mistakes" is the biggest mistake of all. Different Drummer: The Residents

85: What it Means to Worship

Ritual can be a part of authentic worship, but if that's all there is then it is almost certainly false.  My faith has consistently affirmed the conviction that God is "present" within worship, not as a judgmental taskmaster but as a loving, creative force.  Genuine worship changes over time, even from week to week.  Rather than being regimented, if it is truly God-focused then it will reflect the Lord's mysterious ways.  Anything less than a journey into this heart of wonder may be "religious" but it certainly isn't spiritual. Different Drummer: Rick Moyer Take Him With You

84: Birth Control Yourself

People choosing to take ownership of their reproduction and sexuality is not a problem society needs to solve.  From the political rhetoric leading up to the 2012 presidential election in the United States, you might think "birth control" is the only topic Americans are debating.  While addressing the issue without the use of profanity, I am speaking frankly and aggressively.  Even the scripture I cite includes two killings (fatal smiting is the appropriate description) and sexual misconduct.  Also, sound quality was a challenge in places. Different Drummer: Laurie Anderson Reformed Whores performing "I'm A Slut!"

79: A Farewell Address from the Mountaintop

Maybe the reason I believe the Holy Spirit has guided me, perhaps even forcefully, is that I don't have a better explanation for specific experiences that defy any other reasoning.  Or maybe it's simply because it is true.  Either way, for more than three decades now I have earned the title: most likely to be found on a mountaintop in Guadalajara writing the world's most profound three-word sentence.  So to speak. Different Drummer: Aaron Altman Bullying in Rhode Island