When we look at an abuse case, it’s easy to make the mistake of believing there are only two parties involved: the predator and the victim. But there’s a third party who is often present: the bystander. We put most of the burden of stopping predators onto the shoulders of their victims. We demand an already vulnerable person report their abuse and go through that grueling (and often spiritually and psychological damaging) process with very little hope of a positive... Read more
When I was in high school, I knew some teenagers who were sneaking around so they could drink or smoke pot, but I started my rebellion off with something even riskier than that. One day, when nobody else was in the house, I booted up our computer, waited for our dial-up modem to stop screeching, and went back to a website I’d accidentally clicked on a few days before. That started a lifelong pull for me. I’d stop looking at... Read more
I grew up in a fundamentalist church. The first skit I ever wrote and performed was a puppet show for VBS where I told the creation story with a trouble-making puppet. I used to get on IRC back in the mid-90s and argue with atheists who tried to convince me the world wasn’t created in exactly six days. I was so proud of myself for not being swayed away from what I knew was true: The world was young and... Read more
I’m bad at a lot of things. I’m bad at remembering I’m boiling water. I’m bad at remembering birthdays and anniversaries. I’m bad at making small talk, returning phone calls (or, honestly, even answering the phone), and spelling “Medieval” without Google. I’m bad at crafts, writing neatly, and recognizing people I usually see in hats when they aren’t wearing hats. I’m also bad at telling hatless people who approach me in public (and clearly know me) that I don’t know... Read more
Way Station in the Wilderness
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In