Truth and Cholesterol, part 1

I'm writing this while I wait out my time in the Heywood Garage drivers room. My second bus trip in the mornings during this part of the year is on a route that goes from Blaine to the University of MinnesotaMinnesota, but since the U hasn't yet started its fall term I don't drive it. I come back here and wait after my first trip. Soon I'll go to the gym and then home until the afternoon.

As is usual with me the importance of "truth" has been on my mind lately, this time in connection with something that medical professionals have talked with me about -- cholesterol.

My cholesterol is high. It's that way most likely because of my low-carb, high-fat diet, a diet that I have been convinced is the most healthy. My total cholesterol is 238. But my HDL is 78+. So my "ratio" of LDL/HDL is great... even according to my doctors*. Still, they all want me to take medication so that there will be less total cholesterol in my blood.

I've said I would need to be convinced about that -- that it's not good for me to have a lot of cholesterol in my blood. As of now I'm not convinced. As of now I'm of the opinion that cholesterol is a good thing, as long as my "ratio" is good, and as long as other health indicators are positive.

Why do I think cholesterol is a good thing? I'll write more about that later... I hope.

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Public Pebbles (or just breadcrumbs?)

I mentioned, before I went to bed a few hours ago, that there's no more way for me to post to facebook via twitter. I've hoped for interaction, leaving myself open to correction and conversation, and most of that conversation has happened on facebook.

My point in sharing online (whether on this blog or via social media) has been to leave a trail of public clues that would be available, theoretically, to anyone who is curious about me or what it is that drives me to be who I am and do what I do. I have wanted to do that because of Jesus, who, I hope, will be the One that people will find if they follow these pebbles back to their Home. I've also hoped that anyone in the world could look at the clues themselves and wonder, perhaps, how someone who claims to follow Jesus could believe the things I do.

I've always hoped for conversation too, and have invited people to criticize me or correct me, especially when they write from a Jesus-focused perspective. I've learned a lot. I have come to understand that many people don't see things the same way I do, even when they also claim Jesus as their Lord. Most of that conversation and correction has happened on facebook, and I'm grateful for that.

Facebook posts, however, aren't open to the world--you have to sign up to see what's there. So, for my purposes, facebook isn't public enough. Plenty of people aren't on facebook.* Twitter, however, has this neat feature that allows people to see what's on there without signing up or participating in twitter. There's a twitter feed on this blog. I hope you've seen it there. I hope you can if you look.

But I don't get much interaction with others on twitter. There are far more people I know personally on facebook than on twitter, and on facebook I at least know people are seeing what's there as they "like" or comment. And many of my friends and acquaintances write and post comment-worthy posts on facebook, or just post pictures or other things that allow me to connect with them, if only by clicking "like." For me, facebook has been a virtual neighborhood where people are most likely to walk by and say "hi," or, even, to gather for meaningful conversation. Sometimes I wish more of my friends and acquaintances participated there.

So, because facebook isn't public, I've been glad that I could post to facebook via twitter. It was several years ago that I discovered I could build that one way link. My twitter posts, would also go on facebook, where they would get reactions and comments. It was both public and conversational. For me, that was good.

Now that functionality is gone. I feel like Hansel who has just been locked in the house. Before I was able to leave a trail of pebbles when I went out into the world, not, in my case, to find my way home, but so others could find me. Twitter and facebook together provided that. There was openness and honesty. What I tweeted went on facebook. Now, though, I'll need to decide what to do, because I don't want to take the time to log into facebook every time I share something. And I don't want to be tempted to just post on facebook, because there it's all about reactions. I want this to be about a trail of clues to the ultimate Source of my life and yours, Jesus Christ.

Thanks for listening. I'll try to clarify this if you care to comment or ask me. Thanks.

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*I know that many people in the world aren't online in any way (my mom, for example, has never used even email) but there are more people who are online sometimes than those who choose to participate in facebook.

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No More Twitter -> Facebook

Good evening! It's almost 9:30 PM as I write this. Not sure how much longer I'll stay up to write. I'm glad I don't have to set an alarm tomorrow, but I can't sleep in all day. I'll be going to our son Dan and Shatera's newly purchased home to help peel the former owner's wallpaper tomorrow afternoon. Not an exciting project but something I'll be glad to work on with Dan.

I just found out, a few minutes ago, that the reason my twitter "tweets" aren't posting to facebook, as they have for the past 5-10 years, is because of a policy change at facebook. I started using twitter originally because there's a way to show my twitter feed here, on this blog site, so that I can share with many who aren't on facebook. Now I'll need to re-think how I'm going to do that.

I don't want to be sharing only with people who have to sign up for particular "apps." This blog is open to all, and that's part of what "equal sharing" means.

Heading to bed soon.

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Not Much Written

7½ hours from now my alarm will be going off and I'll be up for a new work week. This weekend has been good but full; Toni's been gone, again, down in Northfield with her parents and sister. Her dad has moved into the nursing care unit of the Northfield Retirement Center, the same facility where he and Toni's mom have had an independent living apartment for the past year or more. I've kept busy with a whole lot of things, both here at home and elsewhere. I spent the last few hours cleaning and putting things "away" (or at least out of the main rooms). Tomorrow I'll clean up the bathroom and do a little work here in my office/guest room area. Toni will be back at some point tomorrow, probably later in the day.

I don't write much here these days. I tweet and post on facebook though. You can follow me there.

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