Comments on: The Notion of Paradise http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/ A Creative Playground by Maria Q. Stultz Fri, 29 Aug 2008 22:28:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Maria http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-264 Thu, 14 Sep 2006 16:44:10 +0000 http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-264 He! he!... So that's the thing that bugs her the most right now. How cute! OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] He! he!… So that’s the thing that bugs her the most right now. How cute!

]]> OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] by: Petie http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-262 Thu, 14 Sep 2006 13:23:03 +0000 http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-262 I don't really have a notion of heaven. I think I'm lucky enough to love my life enough not to contemplate that much. Joelle, however, told me what her heaven would be like. Yes, she talks about heaven a lot. (and hell. Hell = Jail, to Joelle). She said that she would be able to stay up all night. She'd never have to go to sleep! OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] I don’t really have a notion of heaven. I think I’m lucky enough to love my life enough not to contemplate that much.

Joelle, however, told me what her heaven would be like. Yes, she talks about heaven a lot. (and hell. Hell = Jail, to Joelle). She said that she would be able to stay up all night. She’d never have to go to sleep!

]]> OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] by: Maria http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-241 Sat, 09 Sep 2006 00:41:17 +0000 http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-241 Marla... You are a patient person. I know you're laughing (LOL)... You are indeed more patient with people than I am. And you would totally be in my Heaven. OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] Marla… You are a patient person. I know you’re laughing (LOL)… You are indeed more patient with people than I am. And you would totally be in my Heaven.

]]> OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] by: Maria http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-240 Fri, 08 Sep 2006 21:27:54 +0000 http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-240 WHERE, Oh! where??? You now, mandarine... Many many years ago I thought of a perfect society, which was what I wanted at the time... Completely idealistic (I was in college), but the idea was that everyone worked at something that the rest of the society could use: Everyone works <em>ethically</em> exactly at what they <em>love to do</em>, and there's enough variety of jobs/passions to take care of all needs, and nobody has to worry about surviving (so no systematic cause for crime) because somebody else's job in this society is to provide food, or build houses, or heal, or whatever. Specialized labor without the need for greed, let's say... It even sounds a little socialist... but we know how that went. Anyway, I don't really need that anymore. I don't need others to solve my problems or provide for me, or even be nice to me. I'm perfectly cool dealing with life's shit like <a href="/2006/09/one-second/">the horrendous accident my husband suffered last Monday</a>... I just want to live in a place where other people have the same sense of JUSTICE and ETHICS that I do. That's all.. Bring on all other challenges! Heaven would be to go to a boring planet, full of boring self-righteous sorts like me. And the "vivos" who love to take advantage of the rest and use more than their share of resources, can all live together. Lovely to imagine how that would go... Thanks for enjoying my blog, BTW ;) OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] WHERE, Oh! where???

You now, mandarine… Many many years ago I thought of a perfect society, which was what I wanted at the time… Completely idealistic (I was in college), but the idea was that everyone worked at something that the rest of the society could use: Everyone works ethically exactly at what they love to do, and there’s enough variety of jobs/passions to take care of all needs, and nobody has to worry about surviving (so no systematic cause for crime) because somebody else’s job in this society is to provide food, or build houses, or heal, or whatever. Specialized labor without the need for greed, let’s say… It even sounds a little socialist… but we know how that went.

Anyway, I don’t really need that anymore. I don’t need others to solve my problems or provide for me, or even be nice to me. I’m perfectly cool dealing with life’s shit like the horrendous accident my husband suffered last Monday… I just want to live in a place where other people have the same sense of JUSTICE and ETHICS that I do. That’s all.. Bring on all other challenges!

Heaven would be to go to a boring planet, full of boring self-righteous sorts like me. And the “vivos” who love to take advantage of the rest and use more than their share of resources, can all live together. Lovely to imagine how that would go…

Thanks for enjoying my blog, BTW ;)

]]> OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] by: mandarine http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-239 Fri, 08 Sep 2006 20:58:14 +0000 http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-239 As an add-on: I fully agree with you (and I might post my thoughts on the subject): there is enough work fighting <strong>things</strong> that we do not have to fight <strong>people</strong> in addition. But I do not think there is a specific way human brains are hardwired. For all I know, your Heaven can exist -- at least I feel better when I believe so. OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] As an add-on: I fully agree with you (and I might post my thoughts on the subject): there is enough work fighting things that we do not have to fight people in addition.
But I do not think there is a specific way human brains are hardwired. For all I know, your Heaven can exist — at least I feel better when I believe so.

]]> OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] by: mandarine http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-238 Fri, 08 Sep 2006 20:51:16 +0000 http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-238 My Heaven is where I live and what I do, right now. I have no TV so that I can pretend the rest of the world is also like this. Part of my constant happiness comes from me, but I am aware I am a hell of a lucky person to have such a heavenly life. I often wonder how I will feel when misfortunes and harships come crashing down on my neat life, but meanwhile, I enjoy. And I enjoy your blog. OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] My Heaven is where I live and what I do, right now. I have no TV so that I can pretend the rest of the world is also like this. Part of my constant happiness comes from me, but I am aware I am a hell of a lucky person to have such a heavenly life. I often wonder how I will feel when misfortunes and harships come crashing down on my neat life, but meanwhile, I enjoy.
And I enjoy your blog.

]]> OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] by: Marla http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-237 Fri, 08 Sep 2006 18:21:22 +0000 http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-237 When you really think about it, it's the differences in our ideas of paradise that drives the crime in the first place, isn't it? This guy thinks YOUR Toyota is just the thing to put him over the top and make his life complete (or the proceeds from it). That guy thinks Israel is his promised paradise, this guy thinks his paradise has been stolen from him. Another thinks that if he can just rub someone out of his life, he'd be content, while his target kinda likes living. I often find that I'm not drawn to the Heaven where there are no worries, no pain, only love all the time and a feeling of being completely complete. I would actually miss fear, pain, etc. much as they are crippling, because they are often motivations for changing our baser selves. They are what drive us to become more heavenly creatures. However, if I could have one thing in Heaven, it'd be a never ending stream of conversations just like this one that can go in any direction any time with no real answer and only our imaginations to fuel them. I know people who'd describe this as the epitome of Hell.:) OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] When you really think about it, it’s the differences in our ideas of paradise that drives the crime in the first place, isn’t it?

This guy thinks YOUR Toyota is just the thing to put him over the top and make his life complete (or the proceeds from it).

That guy thinks Israel is his promised paradise, this guy thinks his paradise has been stolen from him.

Another thinks that if he can just rub someone out of his life, he’d be content, while his target kinda likes living.

I often find that I’m not drawn to the Heaven where there are no worries, no pain, only love all the time and a feeling of being completely complete. I would actually miss fear, pain, etc. much as they are crippling, because they are often motivations for changing our baser selves. They are what drive us to become more heavenly creatures.

However, if I could have one thing in Heaven, it’d be a never ending stream of conversations just like this one that can go in any direction any time with no real answer and only our imaginations to fuel them. I know people who’d describe this as the epitome of Hell.:)

]]> OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] by: Joey http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-230 Mon, 04 Sep 2006 23:02:53 +0000 http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-230 Your idea of a mini-heaven is good. There would be something else, but there are definite things that really make our blood boil. The low-hanging foul fruit that you want to pick and stomp on. The stuff that makes you want to shove that prayer, "Lord, grant me patience to bear the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference." up someone's ass! OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] Your idea of a mini-heaven is good. There would be something else, but there are definite things that really make our blood boil. The low-hanging foul fruit that you want to pick and stomp on. The stuff that makes you want to shove that prayer, “Lord, grant me patience to bear the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.” up someone’s ass!

]]> OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] by: Joey http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-229 Mon, 04 Sep 2006 22:52:31 +0000 http://www.mafemaria.com/2006/09/the-notion-of-paradise/#comment-229 My other heaven would be a world where people don't drive their loud, foul diesel pick-up trucks. Do normal people really need these V8 hemi diesels? Makes my blood boil every time I see them, making all that noise and spitting out that black smoke when they put their foot down on the gas. Don't they give a shit? OjO : [Content from mafemaria.com] My other heaven would be a world where people don’t drive their loud, foul diesel pick-up trucks. Do normal people really need these V8 hemi diesels? Makes my blood boil every time I see them, making all that noise and spitting out that black smoke when they put their foot down on the gas. Don’t they give a shit?

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