"laestadian, apostolic, gay, lgbtq, ex-oalc, ex-llc, llc, oalc, bunner" LEARNING TO LIVE FREE: Any Change Here?

Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Any Change Here?

Incredibly, this blog is almost a year old. It seems like just last week when I was wondering if anyone "out there" would find me. Well, you did and I'm glad. It is gratifying to know that I am not alone and that other folks are finding validation and information and support here. (As well as unsolicited prayers, hehe.)

Perhaps because I'm getting to know some of you, and because traffic is increasing (upwards of 60 hits a day, yikes), I feel newly motivated to improve this blog. Nothing major. I'm not THAT motivated and I have about two minutes a day I can spend on it. But! It would be nice to have categories for old posts, so if you want to look up the list of Sins, you don't have to search. And it would be helpful to have a "recent comments" section because y'all keep responding to stuff that is in the archives. These features are available with hosts other than Blogger (should I be whispering? Am I guilty of blog apostasy?!)

Oh, and what about the url? While "extoot" was kind of fun and insiderish -- "toot" was another term for bunner in my particular OALC milieu -- it is more confusing than descriptive.

Or should I leave well enough alone?

Help me out here, readers.

(No, that is not my photo and that pathetic person is not a relative. I'm pretty sure.)

10 comments:

  1. I've really enjoyed your site this past year. Change it, or leave it the same, I'll keep checking it regularly. :)

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  2. maby you should make a forum so anybody can make a new topic. There has been many times when ive had a question or an experience that i want to share, but i dont post because that would be hijacking another thread.

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  3. Did not "tute" (toot) come about from the slang usage of "christitute"? The real Finnish word would be "kristillinen", for one. Toot came from within, whereas bunner came from the "outside". This is trivia at its' best... or maybe worst.

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  4. P.S. I personally have not like extoots, as it undermines any seriousness intended. That's my half cent worth

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  5. Kristityt (where toot comes from) is the Finnish plural for Christian.

    I personally like extoots, and I think at this point people are familiar with it. A lot of people who end up on my website search using the word extoots.

    I also vote for a forum where you can scan for new posts and post your own topic if you so choose. But the status quo is good, too.

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  6. It would be handy to be able to check the site and read just the new posts.

    I think using the term "toots" is endearing. And we all know what it means.

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  7. That's interesting! I knew the word 'toots' was used of oalcers, but I didn't know where it came from. As exoalc said 'kristityt' is the plural of 'kristitty', which is the Finnish word for Christian when you are talking about people, i.e. it is a noun. The word 'kristillinen' also means Christian, but it is used as an adjective.

    However, for some odd reason, when the Finnish Laestadians use the noun 'kristitty' they usually have in mind only members of their own Laestadian group, while the adjective 'kristillinen' does not have quite so narrow meaning, and it can be used for example about Christian values, Christian churches or Christian political parties.

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  8. I'm afraid I gave you wrong information above. The word 'kristitty' is not always a noun, it can be used as an adjective as well, but usually only when referring to people. So, I guess 'kristitty' and 'kristillinen' are just two words that both translate 'Christian' but have slightly different meanings.

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  9. Thanks, Free2beme, for not chastising me for my fit of pique (under "Lily"). Upon further reflection, I did manage to dredge up some compassion for the author of the "prayer" comment. It strikes me as a further example of what happens to minds that are trapped in spouting other people's (preacher's) platitudes; they no longer function. What can possibly be so dangerous about thinking? I agree with ex-oalc (I think it was): I LOVE TO THINK. And it is nothing short of amazing what God will tell us (indirectly, through our own minds) when we ask and allow ourselves to think. What a scary position, to allow others to be in charge of our souls. I do feel for them, in their confusion and their gibberish.
    By the way, I must commend you, Free2beme, for keeping this from becoming an "oalc-bashers" forum. It is generally even, fair, positive, and non-judgmental, while allowing differences of opinion a voice. I wanted to affirm that in plain English. I also like "extoots" - we are all extoots and we know who we are, and I like the link to Finn and the play on their exclusive appropriation of "Krisityt"-ness. It's an "insiders" thing, and we're all insiders (except for the rather humorless Finn- I'm assuming, from the English - above) and can appreciate the light-heartedness of it.
    I'll keep coming back. Now that I don't have to start my own site!! (When my sister found this site, she emailed me to ask if I had started an ex-oalc website; she thought it was mine; I had forgotten we'd talked about doing this ourselves).
    Good work. Well done. And lovely photography, to boot. V

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  10. Ah, golly gee, yer making me blush, V. I'm glad you like this blog, but the credit goes to the all of you who keep the conversation going.

    Whenever I feel like the topic is exhausted, or at least eclipsed by matters far more important (the war, for one), I'm reminded of the consequences of an unloving religious dogma, and feel motivated anew to fight back with some light and love. And humor, too.

    Have you heard about the judgment clocks in heaven? Whenever you judge another here on earth, your personal clock advances. I guess Mother Theresa's never budged, but word has it that the angels are using OALC clocks for ceiling fans.

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