I went to “Club Starbucks” (the 24/7 location in the Galleria area of Houston) and I stumbled into a 2 hour conversation with a friend and total strangers. It was ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! We were all joined by a driving force, how to define a commonly used term. Now, the fact that individuals often put words into heavy rotation that they can not define is common place. This unlikely bunch: two undergrad students, a nurse (HBU alum?), two friends who have masters degrees, and an accomplished businessman turned non-profit owner, began a conversation attempting to accurately define the word “thirst” and ended up speaking about SO many other things. We talked about the fact that desires are insatiable, we clearly separated thirst from stalking or when it becomes a problem, and we unleashed some feelings I didn’t know I harbored for a old popular TV show, Family Matters.
The popular character Steve Erkle, played by Jaleel White, was called a friend to character “Laura”. My rebuttal was that they were never friends. My argument was that Steve did everything he did for Laura out of love for her. He had an obsessive stage love that I believe Dr. Gary Chatman mentions in the 5 Love Languages. Only, because this was a scripted television PROGRAM, it lasted longer than two years. Laura used Steve and played on the fact that he would do anything for her. After he moved on to his relationship with the character “Myra”, Steven became and object of affection for Laura. She was jealous. How could his affection be turned to someone else? Her annoyance was now someone else’s affectionate boyfriend. She began to desire not Stefan, but Steve. Eventually, they ended up together. This actually gives the perception (because I am a sociologist) that even if the relationship is unhealthy… I can continue to give and give and they will come around. This is a problem. All of this from the concept of “thirst”. There are natural born givers and conceptual or purpose driven givers. The latter are people who give to get. These people hurt people to get to a goal… that’s a blog for a different day.
I met new people and spoke of sociological themes, theology, and relationships without anyone getting upset, not hurt feelings, and we didn’t all agree on everything. It was the fuel I needed to move into this new season of my life.
Tomorrow, 1.14.2013, I am officially a doctoral student. One day, I will get paid to expose people to think… but I will do THAT for free.
Ivy Out
Andonnia's Truth 