Complexities of abortion and related issues

During my school years, I was constantly indoctrinated with pro-life agendas. Abortion - one of the greatest mortal sins a woman can commit, and an overall stain on society that females have the right to legally terminate pregnancies without the consent of the "father." I once even wore a t-shirt in support of this movement and went to the annual March for Life rallies that occur each year in Washington, DC.

Then, I grew up, and realized shit happens. There are many complications and difficult decisions humans must face throughout their lifetimes, often tied to love, sex and family relationships. Any commuter in the Washington, DC area has seen this truck numerous times. It sits parked on various city streets with all kinds of extreme right-winged and religious rhetoric plastered all over it, but the owner's main platform and objective in life is to reverse Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortions in America. The decision was rendered in 1973 - the year I was born.

To advocate this platform, the truck is decorated with images of aborted fetuses, human tissue, and photos of women plagued with guilt and regret over their decision to abort. And each time I pass this truck, as this morning, I anxiously hope the driver will be sitting in it. Because I would pull over in a heartbeat and engage this man in conversation to understand more about the foundation for his positions and beliefs. I think it would certainly be the debate of my lifetime. :) But, alas, now I simply must look at these graphic images each morning at 6 a.m. when I'm pulling into my office garage, and think about his other favorite slogans - "Jesus Wept" and "Jesus Saves." ( Read more... )

The power of recurring dreams

What do dreams mean? I've never studied this issue in detail, but there are all kinds of interpretations, especially for ones that are recurring. In recent weeks, I've had the most vibrant dreams of my lifetime. I don't know what has stimulated this, but I suspect it comes from an overflow of very complex and diametrical emotions that have arisen over the last two months. They range from elation, restlessness, increased sexual thoughts and arousal to struggling with guilt for not feeling empathetic toward a terminally ill relative. She is now in her final days, and lies dying in a hospice bed in our home.

In youth, I had very erotic dreams, even though I wasn't sexually active until later in life. Then, my dreams shifted toward fantasy lands, full of images from the cosmos, fairies, and mystical adventures. Of course, there were also mundane dreams involving friends, family or encounters with random strangers. But there is one dream I've had over and over again, probably at least 50 times in my life. Each time, I realize my teeth are falling out! Sometimes only a few of them, other times, absolutely all of them. What does this mean? :)) Apparently this is a common recurring dream for many people, and nothing unique to me. However, all of the interpretations I've read seem irrelevant to my life situation.

Do you have recurring dreams, or believe there is any significance to them?