Marmalade's page

About me

First off, my blog is titled 'Marmalade' because that is the name of my beloved childhood kitty. Marmalade died years ago, but I've had many pets since then. Presently, I have a female calico named Stella Blue and a male grey tuxedo named Grimalkin. They are my only roommates and much easier to get along with than human animals.

I work for the City, but my job is uneventful and I try to think about it as little as possible when I'm not working. When the weather is nice, I like to hackysack and go for walks in nature. In the wintertime, I tend to become reclusive and apathetic.

I spend a lot of time reading and writing no matter what the season.

I read widely because I have a wandering mind. In the past few years, I've been mostly focused on MBTI/typology, comparative mythology, astrotheology, Christianity, Gnosticism, agnosticism, spiral dynamics and all things integral. Some of the non-fiction writers that have influenced me are: J.G. Krishnamurti, Helen Schucmann, Thoreau, Robert Anton Wilson, Terrence McKenna, John Keel, Carl Jung, Joseph Campbell, Ken Wilber, and Derrick Jensen. I used to read a lot more books, but I've come to rely on the internet much more in researching information. I also used to read a lot more fiction. Some of my favorite fiction writers are, Hardy, Hesse, Kafka, and Philip K. Dick. I love William S. Burroughs too especially in listening to him read his own work. I also really enjoy the graphic novels by the likes of Neil Gaiman and Alan Moore.

I like any kind of fantasy in any kind of medium. I can accept the worst failings in fantasy just as long as its imaginative. I even prefer the non-fiction authors I read to have a strong sense of imagination. However, this past year, I've been getting my fantasy fix from movies and tv shows. Three completely awesome and beautiful movies are: A Scanner Darkly, What Dreams May Come, and The Fountain.

I've always been one who writes all of the time. I used to journal obsessively for years and was really focused on fiction writing. I got burned out on journalling and I now express most of my thoughts on discussion boards, but I've only recently decided to start a blog. As for fiction writing, I've pretty much put it on the backburner for the time being. I'll return to it again... eventually. My mind wanders, but I always come back(again and again) to my many enduring interests.

I've alays have been a spiritual person. I've been questioning as long as I can remember. I grew up in New Thought Christianity(Unity) and have attended a Unitarian-Universalist church some. The main thing that fuels my spirituality and my seeking nature in general is my long-term depression, and it acts as a shadow to the light of the New Thought ideals with which I was raised. My dissatisfaction and curiosity drive eachother. I learned to question deeply from my father who has a keen intellect and was always willing to listen to me as a child.

I'm a very confused person... with a modicum of insight. I see the validity in so many different perspectives and I have obsessive monkey-mind syndrome. I'm sure I think way too much for my own good... which I must blame on my parents. My dad's intellectuality and my mom's obsessive mind combined to form me. I'm fortunate to have a strong spiritual side(which I also get from my parents) that keeps me open to life's non-rational side. I've had many spiritual experiences that have given me a genuine sense of hope and faith. Maybe I'm even more fortunate to have family and friends who I'm very close to.

As for what brings me to an on-line community like this, Jungian typology(MBTI) is what made me become truly interested in the potential of the internet. There is so much info out there on this subject and dozens of discussion boards and yahoo groups. My personality type is INFP(Introversion iNtuition Feeling Perceiving), and the first discussion board I joined was for INFPs(Globalchatter). INFPs are a bit rare in the real world, but pretty common on the web. I've gained much insight into myself and into others through typology. I've probably studied it more thoroughly than any other subject.

I've been addicted to on-line discussions ever since joining Globalchatter, and I now belong to a bunch of them. But there are only a few that I'm a regular on.

I should add that I'm not an entirely serious guy. I have a very humorous side. Besides intellectuality, I also get a very dry(and absurd) sense of humor from my dad. I love Monty Python, Douglas Adams, The Onion, and the Church of the Sub-genius. I believe that when it comes to humor the weirder the better. When a happy mood hits me, I go into major silliness. I only wish happy moods hit me more often.

As I like weird humor, I like weirdness in general especially high weirdness. The phrase 'high weirdness' is a phrase I discovered in my readings about psychedelics. I did tons of LSD in my early 20s which was also when I was the most severely depressed. I was ripe for transformation and LSD had a permanent impact on my psyche. I'll always have a warm place in my heart for psychedelics.

I want to end by mentioning the place I live in which is Iowa City(Iowa, not California). Iowa isn't known for being a place most people seek out. I won't speak for the rest of the state, but I love Iowa City. I grew up here when I was younger and I've lived here more than anyhere else(Bellefontaine, OH; Deerfield, IL; Columbia and Clemson, SC; Black Mountain, NC;Flagstaff and Grand Canyon, AZ). Besides my lifelong bestfriend living here, its an awesome town for its size. If you're seriously into fiction, you probably know about Iowa City. Its the home of the oldest writer's workshop in the world. Also, it hosts an international writer's workshop and famous writers come here for readings on a regular basis. If I didn't live here, I'd probably either live in Portland or Asheville.

My work

It pays the bills and has good benefits.