Giving Credit, Taking Blame

My MTC sister district (entered at the same time, went to Italy, same branch, next door) had two missionaries go home from the MTC. One left after just a few weeks. The other left the day before we flew to Italy.

I didn't know either missionary very well. I didn't really know anyone except for my companion, and even then that was a stretch. But when I learned that the first missionary was just gone - without telling us - and the second made his rounds right before leaving, something inside me took blame. I've been there for people in the past, been able to watch them work through their problems and come back from the edge of suicide or crises of faith. Most were strangers. And when someone close needed my help, I wasn't there.

It doesn't matter that I don't know what it was that made them go home. That it was their choice and that there were other people definitely involved in helping them make the right decisions. I watched it happen, I was close... and I felt responsible.

The same thing happens when someone I know loses someone to suicide. I wonder if maybe I were a better friend, had gotten to know their son/daughter... maybe I could have averted the disaster.

It's delusional. I know. And, according to psychology, probably horribly egocentric, since it means I believe I have influence over the choices of others. But don't we? Aren't we all our brothers' keepers? And shouldn't we feel intense and immense sorrow when we realize that somewhere along the line the pain happened?

This all came on as I realized that yet another person I know has left the Church because of same-sex attraction. It's never a split-second decision... but a long pathway of changing and substituting beliefs and immense frustration and pain.

And I was clueless.

When things go right, God should always get the credit. He enables me to do the good things I do. Honestly, all the good things I've done in my life have been things God set me up to do - not just in preparation, but by barring every other door. But when things go wrong, it's always a mortal failing. And it makes me wonder who else is suffering... who else is going through silent turmoil and needs a friend to listen and understand. Maybe nothing would have changed had I known and done my best. Maybe. But I still feel like there are people of the world in silent pain... and I should somehow be doing more.

Little Things

Sometimes it's nice to be grateful for the little things in life. My diet's going really well, and I'm having a blast coming up with new recipes. My friend found her lost cat, the health food store on the corner had a sale on tofu (which ended up being less expensive yet significantly superior to the one I've been eating) and some probiotics I've wanted to try on clearance... it's cool at night and someone mentioned to me that it might get cooler this weekend... yeah. Little stuff, but it definitely makes me smile. And helps me feel grateful for the countless blessings I have in life.

Yeah, I may be trying to sort out the Lord's will for me on a couple different levels. I'm far from perfect in my own life, and my ability to create and maintain friendships is still on par with an infant - you know when they poke their finger in another kid's eye because they're clueless? That's me. But I'm okay with all that today... because I know that God loves me and I'm getting better.

I'm grateful for the people who try to get through to me. For peers who tell me they care. For opportunities to just listen and talk and sit.

And I'm definitely grateful for the little things.

The UK: Blocking Pornography Nationwide

There are already countries where Internet pornography isn't a problem for youth. Where people grow up and don't get addicted, want to get away, and yet are tantalized at every turn by a ubiquitous demon. But moving to a Muslim state isn't really an option for most 12-year-olds. It wasn't for me.

End-user filtering is always imperfect because it can be broken. I convinced my parents to install filters on our computers when I was young, then summarily hacked through them. And in today's world, where the Internet is the touch of a button away on a phone or an unlocked wifi network somewhere else... the good and the bad are always at your fingertips.

Most people I've met with SSA are or have been addicted to pornography. It started benign, then smashed them. But this isn't an adult addiction; it began between 8-14 for the majority. Yes. Your 8-year-old son could be addicted to porn.

Now I want to share good news.

David Cameron, the prime minister of the UK, announced today that ISP's (internet service providers) would begin automatically filtering Internet throughout the country for pornography unless subscribers personally opted in to pornographic content - similar to how the US mail service works. He called upon the firms' best minds to overcome the technological hurdles to make sure it worked.

And he's doing it to protect the people who are most likely to be addicted and have no control - the youth of their country.

I know there will be major hiccups, but already most major ISP's in the UK are on board. Some people will combat heavily against the choice. But, in a world that always seems to be going in the wrong direction, in a world where I was addicted to pornography, this made me smile, and cry, and give thanks to God that there are still good people who care about their families and the welfare of the people around them... and who understand how devastating an addiction to pornography can be. For a 12-year-old, or for that same person grown up and married with kids.

Maybe America will watch and follow suit. I wish we would. I hope we will. I'd go into debt to make something like this happen to help the people I love. But I think that most of that pornography is coming from our borders. And billions of dollars has traditionally spoken American better than English. Maybe we can change that. I hope so.

BBC link: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23401076

We Are All Addicted

(Yes, the title is a reference to a Church hymn. "We Are All Enlisted" is a great Christian hymn that rallies people to the cause. I don't think my paraphrase will ever make it into a hymnal, but hopefully it rallies people to understand the things that they, and others around them, are facing.)

I'm giving up food this week.

Not completely, but almost. I found a diet last year that was completely effective for treating my bipolar, and when it's used for other conditions it has the chance of effecting a permanent cure. Just one caveat - you have to be faithful for two years. I did the diet for 6 months and saw total improvement - from up to 4 cycles of depression each month (each lasting from a day to a week) to 0. Then I got sick when my brother got leukemia, and mixed with the stress of 19.5 credits at school, two jobs, running our business, driving to the hospital and back each day, and life, I couldn't get better. So I stopped and told myself I would pick the diet back up when life became less stressful. Since CJ was declared cancer-free in January, I've felt the tinge to do it... but couldn't push myself to do it. But I'm doing it now.

That's why I'm giving up food - or more specifically, carbohydrates - because my brain is affected by them. Taking carbs out of my diet will cause my brain to slowly move over to processing ketones, which are metabolites of fatty acids. And, somehow, that fixes my bipolar.

I was realizing earlier this week that everyone in the world has probably been addicted to something. Now, when I say addicted, I mean that they indulge in an activity that they know is not beneficial in the long run, but that brings them immediate pleasure (or at least relief from pain) nonetheless... and either have no intentions of stopping or cannot.

Some of the major addictions are pornography (which definitely runs with same-gender attraction, as well as opposite-gender attraction), drugs, and alcohol, but then there are the newer-age addictions to video games, Facebook (or other stuff on the Internet), and the age-old addiction to food. I don't think it's an addiction to food, actually. I think it's an addiction to certain types of food - probably sugar and refined carbs because they have an immediate and important impact on the brain. Bring up the fact that refined sugar causes only bad things - oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and other things - on the body to a sugar addict, and suggest change, and it's like telling a porn addict to turn off the Internet to his house.

But yeah. The reality is that we're all addicted, or have been at one point. I think that's what the Lord meant, in part, when He spoke about the natural man as an enemy to God. We're entrenched in the ways of mortality and definitely have trouble getting out. And often, as much as this will grate on the nerves of everyone who hears it (because it grates on mine), when we're trying to get out of addictions, or to train our bodies and minds to do new things, we have to toss some of the good with the bad.

I went without Internet for a while so that I could have peace in my apartment and not have the temptation of pornography. It meant that every time I wanted to use the Internet I had to go to school, but since BYU had heavy filters I felt like I was safe there from myself. I know that my bishop suggests the same thing to guys and girls who go into his office and struggle with pornography. "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out." I wouldn't suggest self-mutilation (I think that some of us have thought about it, but, really, there are better options), but, metaphorically, it's better to go to Heaven blind than to go to Hell able to see. I could give up YouTube and email for peace of mind.

Giving up food has been just as hard. Last time I did this, I dreamed about eating whole-wheat bread. And had to stop myself even in the dream because I didn't want to create a pattern of giving in to temptation. I can have 10 grams of carbohydrates spaced throughout the day. With a multivitamin and calcium supplement, it's down to about 8. A piece of bread can have 40. Yeah.

I don't know where I was going with this. But I think that sometimes we look at people who are struggling to change major things in their lives (with addictions) and think that they are going through something wholly different from our own. I know I have sometimes. I look at my brother, who has trouble controlling his eating, and went for 30 days without pizza, only to go back on it again. Or others that I know who have dramatically different issues that they face. But even though I'm vegan and don't eat sugar, I still have to give up food because of the cards that life has dealt me. And I already know that I'll go through withdrawal.

Changing anything has to happen with the Lord's help. As I write this, it's begun pouring rain. A sign, at least in my life, that I'm doing the right thing and that God is involved in my life. *sigh* This is going to be hard though. It means giving up eating with other people in most cases. Giving up the opportunity for someone else to cook for me, in most cases as well. And much more complicated dating. Well, at least it's happening now. My hope is that I can fix the depressive cycles before I get married someday; that way I'll have at least one less thing to worry about influencing the most important mortal relationship in eternity.

We are all addicted to who we are. To what we know. To the present and the past and the safe. But the beauty of mortality, and the Atonement of Christ, is that we can all change, no matter what we face.

(double posted at northstarlds.org/blog)

Longing

I'm thinking about trying to find a therapist again. I'm just not really sure what my goal would be. I mean, on all visible extents measures, my life is incredible right now. I just got a dream job (that fell from Heaven, almost literally), I have the calling that I've wanted for a long time (ward missionary & fellowshipping committee), my business is going well, I'm healthy, my MBA is finished, people in my life love me...

And, despite all that, right now I feel an incredible longing that I can't seem to quench. Sometimes it stays silent, but when I talk with someone, or think too deeply about life, it wakes and pulls somewhere deep in my gut and my brain. Pulling me, sometimes so hard that I can't concentrate on anything else... but without a place to go. Longing, so deeply that I sit staring... but with no way of getting there. When it comes, as it did moments ago, the feeling seems to shift and flow - sometimes feeling like a fleeting ethereal mist, then suddenly bordering on the edge of emotional pain so intense that it knocks me flat.

I'm not totally sure what the problem is. Maybe it's the feeling that comes right as my bipolar is about to switch into depression. Maybe it's some sort of embedded longing to cuddle with a guy. Maybe I ate something, or didn't eat enough. Maybe it's a longing to be emotionally close to someone - anyone - and an echo of the deeply resonating emptiness when I realize that even when I & others try we still have a long ways to go. Maybe it's a longing for Heaven - I read a CS Lewis quote today that was something like, "If I feel a longing that can't be met by this world, then the only logical assumption is that I was made for another."

I don't know.

It feels sort of like the wonder/awe/love I feel when I watch the rain and know that God loves me, but twisted and empty and backwards and opposite of all those things. Which is probably why, when I've felt this way in the past, I usually prayed for rain. And rain... or perhaps the presence and love of God... can somehow quench it when nothing else can.

And I wonder if a therapist could help me process my emotions or complete enough self-reflection to enable it go away and never come back.

Or even if I want it to go away.

Maybe it's just a reminder that I'm imperfect and need God... and this is one way He reminds me.

Maybe there isn't anything wrong with me at all.

Because in moments like this, on the edge of excrutiating pain, I find myself suddenly remembering the people around me... and caring about them far more than I did a few hours ago. I find myself writing a blog post when it's been days since I felt the desire. I find myself turning inside myself, trying to find ways to solve the problems that I see... and those are all good things.

Again, do I want it to go away?

Do I want to live a life free of pain... and also thus free of the reminders of imperfect mortality? Do I want to solve my problems and find complete and total peace... and perhaps forget or lose my desire to reach out entirely?

Would living a painless life make me forget how sweet it is to see the hand of God during suffering?

I'm thinking about finding a therapist, but I don't know what my goal would be. Maybe I'm attached to my own cycle of suffering and unable to give it up. Maybe I don't know how to get close to people, or I'm afraid of them, or maybe there's really nothing wrong.

I don't know.

All I know is that it hurts... and it hurts more because I don't know what it is, I don't know how or if to fix it, and I don't know how anyone else can help... and because it always ends up hurting the people that care about me, too.

*sigh*

I'm going to pray for rain.

Forward

I went to the North Star summer fireside last night. I've tried to be involved in the community since last November, but (like everyone else) even though I know that people care about me I find I still have major qualms about my ability to fit in.

So last night as the fireside started I wondered if sitting by myself was (probably) a sign that I had simply arrived later than most, (potentially - it's happened in the past) that people were giving me space, or (the inexorable possibility that isn't true yet still crosses my mind) if people just weren't interested in being near me.

The fireside was good. Nathan Gibbons - a therapist who works at the MTC - along with Jimmy Merrell - a researcher in the Deaf community spoke about things that seemed useful and worthwhile to the group. But more, it made me feel good about my own progress. Not that I've made a ton of visible strides recently, but I feel like life is good - and perspective seems to be the most important part.

As the fireside ended, the awkwardness descended yet again... and I found myself talking with people, wanting to dive deeper, yet stuck feeling like it wasn't going to happen. I want to get close to people, but I have no idea how to do it... and the feeling that people don't care still sticks in the back of my kind. I don't know where the feeling comes from. I know that people care about me. Tons of people told me, personally and specifically, that they were glad to see me. And yet, even surrounded by people who know me, understand some of the things I'm going through in life, and care about me... I still struggle to make connections. I'm sure it didn't help that I had to leave sooner than I wanted; my little sister was opening her mission call and had already postponed the event half an hour. She got called to the Brazil, Santos mission - leaving for the Brazil MTC at the end of October. But I still had time. *sigh*

Ironically, today I was released from my calling as ward music co-chair and called to be a ward missionary and member of the fellowshipping committee. So a major part of my calling is to develop better relationships with people. Right now I know the ward well enough to tell who is new... but even remembering their names after a minute or two is stretching it. Maybe I'll get lucky and the blessings from my calling will bleed into my normal life.

Either way, I definitely have a long ways to go.

I Just Realized

that all my stress comes from people. Everything that makes it hard for me to sleep at night, that makes me eat when I'm stressed, that triggers depression, that makes me cry, that burns me out, that pushes me into a corner with no way out, that makes me want to run away from life... comes from people.

And sometimes I feel like it isn't worth it - this trying to be in the world around me. 

It would be so much easier just to pull back. To stay alive but disappear from the social parts of life. To only do the things I want to, instead of adding in the things I know I should. To forget about people when they're not physically present or if their relationships cause pain.

I've thought about finding a way to just start over - maybe moving to China to teach English, or just moving to China without a job in place... though that might be a little harder. Except that I'm pretty sure there are people in China, too... and that relationships would be just as hard or harder.

There's no escape.

I had a recurring nightmare when I was little - soldiers that would follow me no matter where I went. I could run as fast or as far as I wanted, but eventually the distant sound of drums would wake me. No place could hide me. No one else existed in the world... only massive tin soldiers marching to the sound of drums, walking slowly but inexorably towards the only living being on the planet - me.

I've wondered what that nightmare meant... especially because of the ending. One night, in the dream I got into a spaceship and left the earth behind... and finally the drumming stopped. I was free. Right now I realize that one potential interpretation would be that I'll have my trials in life until I leave life... and that maybe for a few moments here and there I'll find respite... but the only thing I can do is try to run until it's time to leave.

That sounds depressing. I'd rather not be depressed right now. Depression usually makes a dent in my plans, and I still have to plan 6 musical numbers (and find just as many talks...) for Sacrament meeting on Sunday. I need to be motivated enough to make a bunch of phone calls.

Maybe I can figure out a way to lower the stress I'm feeling right now. I'm sure I can... I'm just not totally sure how to do it.

DOMA, Proposition 8

Today the US Supreme Court issued two rulings that cut at the heart of the battle for marriage. DOMA, and Proposition 8.

The first - DOMA - regarded the federal Defense of Marriage Act. Since the federal government administers a number of benefits to married couples, but has no "voting precinct" other than Congress, Congress passed the law during the Presidency of Clinton to ensure that the federal government would only support marriage between a man and a woman - ruling out all other definitions for the purposes of federal benefits. Since the federal government holds jurisdiction in military bases and other areas, as well as determining social security and tax issues, this was a key position. The Supreme Court ruled that DOMA, by exclusively supporting marriage between a man and a woman, "singled out" homosexual marriage, along with other any other form of marriage not listed already supported or that in the future may be supported by a given state.

This ruling essentially says that the federal government, as far as benefits and other uses, is ruled by the most lenient state or states as per definitions of marriage. If a given state decides to acknowledge a given marriage, the federal government will follow suit.

The second ruling was that the supporters of Proposition 8 - an amendment to the California constitution that declared marriage as between a man and a woman that passed via popular ballot - lacked standing before the court to support their case. Since the state of California, which would have had standing, refused to support the new constitution, supporters attempted to keep it alive. The declaration that they lacked standing before the court means that voters, regardless of any supposed interest they may have vested in their state constitution, do not have the legal right to contest court rulings regarding their constitution. 

That is sort of troubling to me, personally, because it essentially says that, unless the Constitution - state or federal - is causing me "personal harm," I have no legal right to object to any part of it. A strong moral belief, or even support for a constitutional amendment doesn't seem to hold sway.

Either way, this ruling leaves the prior ruling in place, which was made by a homosexual judge in the district court just below. That ruling said that the constitution of California was unconstitutional by admission of the new amendment.

The duality of the rulings makes me a bit frustrated. By saying that the federal government must follow the lead of the states (as per the ruling on DOMA), it sounds like the court is supporting state sovereignty in marriage. That's how marriage has always been defined - by the states. But by perpetuating the ruling made by a federal court on a state constitution - declaring it unconstitutional because of the admission of a marriage amendment - and by effectively closing the door to anyone to ever petition against it again, it sounds like the court is supporting federal sovereignty in marriage. By doing both, it looks like they are just making a political play... and it's obvious that they are for gay marriage.

I'm not going to start talking about the issues of the future that these rulings have opened. For today, I'm frustrated that my government has decided to endorse yet another thing that leads away from God.

Exciting.

1. I finished an outline for the novel (series?) I'm writing called Jason & the Rockbiters. I began it a bunch of years ago, but stopped writing because I didn't feel I had the writing skills to make it happen (and the plot had died). I gave the first few chapters to my brother and he still remembers being frustrated when I didn't know what happened next. But as of today, the outline is finished, and it includes some pretty awesome twists and turns. Now I just need to write it, and my writing skills have improved dramatically over the last years. I think it may need to be a multi-book thing because of the character development needed to pull the ending off. But it's moving. Definitely exciting.

2. Worldwide Broadcast tomorrow. This is the first time that part of New Mission President's Seminar has ever been made public. And I have tickets to be in the audience at the Marriott Center. Epic. And I know some of the people who are helping translate for rebroadcasts and who are working on the website that will launch along with the broadcast tomorrow. And, years ago, when I was working on curriculum development for the MTC, I helped write outlines that actually got used by apostles in mission president's seminar. I'm sure they're a hundred editions beyond, but I still feel connected. Really exciting. And I guess I'll be live-tweeting.

3. My family is in town. I forget how much I miss and love them when they are gone until they come back. And how much better of a person I am when I can bounce ideas off of my little sister or talk about them with my mom or dad. They're here for a while... and I'm glad that they are... I think that's the reason why the outline for Jason & the Rockbiters suddenly happened - I was talking with my little sister about life and it occurred to me that I should just try to write an outline and see what happens. I'm excited to see what else happens.

4. Totally random, and probably uninteresting, but I went to a family pool party today and didn't sunburn. I stayed out of the sun for a bunch, coated myself with sunscreen, and got out before I started feeling burned. And I'm not. :) For someone who has skin that is usually either snow-white or magenta, that's exciting.

I Get Really Excited About Stuff...

like the tri-stake young single adult pool party tonight. My stake president came to my Elder's Quorum and promised us that we'd find our eternal companion at the party. So why wouldn't I get excited? He looked right at me when he made it. That's a pretty hefty promise.

And then I get to the pool party, see the crowds milling together - groups of people meshed and flowing from one to another - and remember... I don't even know how to phrase it. It's like an overwhelming shyness mixed with gut-wrenching fear and discomfort at even being there. At stake dances I would sit in the church foyer because I felt like I should be there, but couldn't bring myself to go inside. At the pool party I didn't have a small group of people who could be a buffer for me and help me get to know new people. I didn't have a role to play like I do when I'm hosting a party, or when there's a topic already decided for conversation. The only thing I could think of doing was playing with my little brother, who's in town with my family, or practicing diving on the diving board, or just standing in the pool alone... neither of which put me in contact with anyone else, let alone a potential eternal mate.

I left the party frustrated with myself because I couldn't talk with anyone. Frustrated because I had been so excited, maybe even blithely so, and had somehow forgotten what inevitably happens to me in unstructured large-group gatherings. And frustrated with myself because I could feel myself wondering if I'll ever be worth it - asking questions that I should be firm on... answers that I've gotten a thousand times. And yet I still find myself wondering. If I have trouble talking with people, if I carry massive emotional and other burdens, if... 

*sigh*

How is this ever going to work out?

God can do amazing things. Incredible miracles. Mold man from the dust and call down fire from Heaven. But will I be up to the task? Can He mold me into something worthwhile? And what kind of woman would ever want to spend eternity at my side?

And how many times will I need to experience things like this to be humble enough to let them just happen? To learn to accept it and move on? To have faith that God will fill in the parts that I can't... and help me in the places where I fail?

All I've Ever Wanted...

... is to be a missionary, a husband, and a father.

That's it.

If I can have those, I don't need anything else. I don't want to be rich, or famous, or the instigator behind a massive change in the world. I don't want an Olympic medal or a glamorous job. I'll be okay living with just enough to get by, wherever and however it happens... maybe teaching Primary for a couple of decades.

I realized that I've been stressing about things in life that don't really matter to me - what I'm going to do professionally... how I'm going to fix our broken sprinkler system... thoughts about my business... mundane things like that - when I have pretty much everything I need in life already.

I may not be married, or really understand how I could fall in love with a girl just yet... but hey - there's nothing wrong with not understanding yet. That's where faith comes in. And in the meantime...

I have great opportunities to share the peace and hope I've found in life, time to spend with my family, and the promise that, if I'm faithful, I'll receive every blessing God has in store for me. I already am a missionary, and slowly I'm developing the skills to hopefully be an awesome father & husband someday. Pretty cool.

*sigh*

Life is good.

Utah County Crisis Line

I got a new home teaching assignment with my younger brother two weeks ago. We met with one woman who is passionate about mental health counseling and mentioned that she had tried volunteering with the Utah County Crisis Line. I've wanted to see how the crisis line works for a while... and recently felt pushed to actually go apply to be a volunteer. The woman we home teach mentioned that it hadn't been a good fit for her... and I found myself wondering why. (As a side, she's helping with a research project on depression and religiosity and they need more participants; there's a short, anonymous survey at lds.co/d where any of you with diagnosed depressive disorders could help with their data collection)

I went to my first training meeting last night. It started out how I had expected - taking about the issues of people in crisis, methodologies for helping them find peace and reduce stress from acute problems, outlines for resources that are available in the community.

And then we got to the section called "Boundaries"... and it was like I had walked into a brick wall. Two-thirds down the page it said, "Don't share any information about your own life. If people ask, say, 'We're here to talk about you, not me.'"

I can understand a need for anonymity. It was something I safeguarded for years. But when I talked with real people, I always shared my real story. When they called me to ask for advice, I could think of stories and experiences that helped them realize that someone cared and had been through similar experiences. And at the Crisis Line, that's not what they do.

One of the volunteers who's been there for a while said something after that made me think. "Who you are is your superpower. What are you going to do without it?" (I mentioned (G)MG and my experiences helping others as one of the reasons I wanted to volunteer)

I don't know what I'm going to do. If someone calls and is suicidal because they are severely depressed, have same-gender attraction, and are going through a crisis of faith, I don't know that I'll be able to just listen without feeling like I'm lying on the phone... or withholding something that may be far more useful than a list of community resources and half an hour on the phone with a nameless, anonymous listener.

People call me to call me. People call the crisis line to call the crisis line. But somewhere in my heart, I believe that they have the same motivations - not just looking for someone to listen, but someone to listen who can understand what's happening from personal experience, and maybe say something that will give hope or perspective or anything in darkness.

Crisis Line does amazing things - things that, perhaps because it is an institution, are out of reach for individuals on their own. They make a huge difference in the lives of people each day. I just find myself wondering. Maybe this will be the impetus to start my own version of a crisis line. 

I've realized that the home teaching and visiting teaching programs of the Church are designed to take the place that Crisis Line does for some people. The problems that are too big to solve on your own, but don't need the help of your bishop... except for the issue of shame. People who have problems or concerns that they see as shameful (regardless of actual cultural views) are less likely to approach people they know... hence the need for people on the outside who can bridge the gap. If we could eliminate shame, then home and visiting teachers would be perfect. Ideally, that would happen. Practically, it doesn't make sense to assume it will. So maybe this will give me some of the pieces to put together.

Either way, it'll be a good learning experience. And helping people in crisis is never a bad thing.

Nothing

I look across the street and see a beautifully manicured lawn and garden. Mine is a mess, with weeds and brown grass and a completely broken sprinkler system yet again.

My brothers' rooms are clean. Mine, again, is a mess. 

My little brother just got engaged. It's been almost a year since I went on more than one date with someone. 

Many of the people I know have careers. Or know what they are going to do in the next year or five. I don't feel like I know anything... and don't know which way to go.

A teacher in Sunday School today asked me how to be a good friend. She told me I was a friend to lots of people. I had no answer. Ironic that I don't feel it.

People think I'm too busy for friends, or that I have tons of them. But when we try to get close it doesn't work... because I don't know how to be a friend.

One place I feel useful is at the temple. But I wonder if I'm really good enough to be a worker there... even to the point of not going some weeks.

I live with my brothers, but feel like I would be closer to them if I didn't... because I inevitably do things that cause strife. When we work together, I find it's better to work on the opposite side of the house. Otherwise, something will happen to push us apart.

People ask me for help, and I feel more broken than they are.

A guy who just moved into the ward asked me after Church if there was anything else happening today. He sounded like he wanted an opportunity to get to know people. I thought about inviting him to dinner, and inviting others as well, but I didn't do it. I told myself I was tired, and fell asleep as soon as I walked in the door coming home.

I asked someone to be our choir director two weeks ago. She hasn't held choir yet, and people ask me why, and I feel like it's my fault.

I still deal with depression, with loneliness that doesn't go away even when I'm with people who love me, with inadequacies and frustrations that keep me awake into the night.

I'm alone, lost, broken, tired, and worn out. 

I feel like, comparatively, I am nothing.

And yet, somehow, it's okay. Because, even with the reality - that there are a thousand things I could/should do better - I feel peace. God loves me.

Maybe it's okay to be nothing.

Life is Good

Some of the people who make me think most are people who are faithful to the Church because of major difficulties in life. In their stories I see people who've tried to find hope and peace in other places and found it in the gospel. People who, even in a world where self-indulgence is rampant, realize that there are more important things, and who make eternal covenants with God and come closer to Him. Who realize that life is good... even with things that maybe don't look as attractive at the outset.

I sort of put myself in that category... because I feel like anyone who has major issues to overcome needs to become a personal convert to the gospel. Not that I'm going to write that I'm inspirational to myself, since that probably sounds a bit arrogant... but I can't rely on the testimony of someone else. My life sometimes looks awesome and sometimes looks rough. I'm 27, just finished graduate school, have a partial interest in the business I help run, remain totally single, and am trying to figure out my life in the context of having bipolar and ASD. And there's the same-sex attraction issue, which right now just makes it frustrating to try to find people to date. Some days (when depression hits or I can feel the loneliness of ASD throbbing inside my brain) I feel like life is smashing me flat, but the reality is that, even on my most difficult days, I have a pretty awesome life.

Last night I went to a career workshop for adults with Asperger's/high-functioning autism. I was hoping to find some direction for my life so that I can figure out where I'll enjoy a career. Over the last few years I've changed jobs over and over again, creating a resume that has lots of stuff, but that only indicates the fact that I haven't found the right fit. It's been a huge stressor for me in recent months, and I felt totally alone and isolated when I compared myself to my classmates in the MBA program.

But at the workshop, I realized that, comparatively with at least some other people with ASD, I have it pretty good. I have job options that I could probably follow if I needed to. I have my business - which brings in at least something yet doesn't require 50 hours a week of work. I made it through college and graduate school quickly, without having panic attacks or dropping out, don't have gazillions in student loans, and only once got failed due to interpersonal stress. I've had amazing opportunities given to me - publishing books, performing, creating tools that influence lots of people. And I think I know what I want to do, have the experience and passion... and just need to find the right opportunity to make it happen. I realized at the workshop that everyone hasn't had those same opportunities. I was definitely an outlier.

I look at the same thing with depression. Yeah, some days I feel like the world is falling apart, and it's all my fault. But, again, comparatively outward and even to my own past, life is good. I haven't been really suicidal in a long time, and over the years I've been able to feel depressive episodes coming - even to the point that I can prevent them if I do the right things. I'm not on medication. I don't have to eat zero carbs to control my mind. And having been through the roller coaster of hypomania-depression, I can empathize with people who are there... and somehow know what to do to help them come out alive.

I don't know. Everyone has very different things in life that they face. But I feel like life itself is always good... and that one of the secrets of life is realizing that everything that happens to me is a gift from God (mortality and everything in it) - but it doesn't define who I am. Who I am is simply based on what I choose to do with that gift. Finding the good in all things makes life better, and makes me better.

Some things are intensely painful. Some seem so hard to be impossible, and maybe they are. But I've slowly learned that everything in my life is designed to help me learn joy - to learn to be a better man - and the pain, when I leverage it, is always worth it in the end.