Hi, I'm Soren Gregev.

[Soren Gregev]

Hello, I'm Soren Gregev. I come from a roman catholic family. I still remember the masses that I would go to every sunday morning in summer, during the sweltering heat. We went dressed up in clean white dress shirts and red ties, and entered a little indian church that still exists to this day, buried off the map in a grassy field out of the old west. Inside, I would smell the rosy incense, warm on my lungs. It was very quiet. We stood and kneeled off and on, and music accompanied much of the liturgy. Of the sacraments, the most sacred the taking of Jesus Christ, our lord into ourselves: We would recieve his body and blood.

His body tasted dry, and stuck on my tongue, then moist and thick, as well as salty. I would try to swallow, and it would always be hard to get it down. His blood was reach and heady(of course, it was deep red wine), and I drank well of it, as it burned my throat going down. We shook our neighbors hands. Our father's sermon, the highlight of the day, was always my favorite part. I seemed to hang on his every word, and though I've forgotten most of what he had said now, I can recall my older cousins telling me that I should stop reminding them of what the priest had said, or marvelling at how I could remember something that was said two weeks ago when I hardly paid attention elsewhere.

Then the mass was over. The people were like a mass of colors every sunday, and stayed to talk for at least thirty minutes in front of the church. That stone church is where I went to ccd, and drew pictures of an old man with a fluffy beard, but added little elf-ears because I liked the Lord of The Rings. I wore necklaces with silver crucifixes, in fact, I still have mine today, tidied away in a little box with the words "fine Jewelry" written on the top.

Anyway, I have fond memories of the catholic church. I certainly don't agree with everything they say, but I consider Catholicism to be a heritage with black stains on it, much like any other heritage, and yet to have good signs of beauty and grace in it as well. At the same time, I don't make much ado about religion poisoning the world. It seems that religious fervor comes in waves with the rise and fall of education and prosperity in general, and I don't think advocating atheism itself will do much to change that.

As for a picture of myself without Religion: Imagine a young man, tall and slender. He is hunched over a wooden desk in low light late at night, writing his ideas in a journal that he purchased at wal-mart, admittedly with money from a bi-weekly income. At lunch he takes out a small plastic box and opens it, eagerly spooning stir-fried rice cooked with spanish seasoning and Mexican Verde Sauce. After the rice, he leans back, and sips from a glass of powdered lipton tea. The window to his room is open and a soft breeze whispers through, while on his desk a little fan oscillates with a whirrr. The light outside is red, the sun sets low, so he puts his pen down, and reviews what he has written: The words on his page, when read, tell of ideas: Many a piece, some about electronics, others about politics, all of them novel and all of them offering insight.

He hopes maybe someday to publish these ideas, but as the sun sets today--he takes off his clothes and enters the ice cold shower in his bathroom. Shower finished, he turns on the heater to keep him warm in this desert weather, and then goes to sleep. Tomorrow he has a full day of work ahead of him at his job as a wall-mart cashier, where he makes minimum wage.

This is Soren Gregev.  

[Crow]

Wow love your writing style.

[Soren Gregev]

Why, thank you Crow! I'm much obliged to like your username, too. Is it from the movie? Or does it have some other significance?

[The Magic Pudding]

Hello Soren, I think you should get yourself a teapot and some proper tea.

[Tank]

Hello Soren, I think you should get yourself a teapot and some proper tea.

I agree, it was going so well up until then.

Hi Soren

Welcome to HAF

Regards
Chris

[Stevil]

Minimum wage?
Buddy, write a novel and sell it for millions, you obviously have talent.

[fester30]

Minimum wage?
Buddy, write a novel and sell it for millions, you obviously have talent.

Or you could do what I did.  Prostitution pays well.  Or, yeah, maybe better to write.

[hismikeness]

One of the more interesting intros I've seen in my time here. Nicely done, sir.

I don't have a problem with your choice of tea.

Nothing wrong with a WalMart cashier. I have a family member who worked as a cashier at the WaWa. I, too, was raised Catholic. In fact, after my grandmother died, grandpa went back to the seminary and became a deacon, and then a priest. He married both my older brother and his wife and my wife and me. It was pretty cool as a Catholic kid to have my flesh and blood grandpa perform the ceremony. I used to take the donation envelopes, lick them all shut, and write $1,000,000 or some other ridiculous amount on them. I can also remember as a young kid thinking that the priest, with his ostentatious garb and grandiose gesturing, was actually God.

Anyway, welcome!

[Crow]

Why, thank you Crow! I'm much obliged to like your username, too. Is it from the movie? Or does it have some other significance?

It's from the book "Kafka on the Shore" by Haruki Murakami, It is the name given to (one of) the main characters thoughts that challenge, guide, and judge him. Crow in essence is his alter-ego but is used more like the chorus found in classical Greek plays.

[Whitney]

Welcome to HAF,

If you like blogging and want something to do we have a blog that needs TLC...I'd be happy to set you up with author access:  http://happilyfreethinking.blogspot.com/

[xSilverPhinx]

Welcome!

[Soren Gregev]

Thank you all for the warm welcome. I will reply to each of your replies in sequence.

Whitney:

I don't mind blogging. It would allow me some time to stretch my brain muscles a little bit. I would have to be an irregular contributor, however, if that is at all possible?

Crow:

I see. "Haruki Murakami" ? I haven't read her, but I have read Natsume Soseki. He wrote my favorite book: "Kokoro". Something tells me you might know about him?

HisMikeness/Tank/The Magic Pudding:

*Laughs* I actually prefer properly brewed Luzianne Tea. But Lipton Tea is cheaper and in bulk.  

Again, thanks for the replies, everyone.

[DeterminedJuliet]

Welcome
I grew up Catholic as well. While I do consider myself non-religious now, the memories I have from the community aren't all bad. I'm not as angry with the religion as some people who've fallen out with it (my husband, for example, has a very negative association from when he was a "believer")

Welcome! I look forward to your contributions.

[Twentythree]

looking forward to hearing your ideas expounded upon.

[Crow]

I see. "Haruki Murakami" ? I haven't read her, but I have read Natsume Soseki. He wrote my favorite book: "Kokoro". Something tells me you might know about him?

I do indeed just stared reading "Sanshiro" yesterday. If you like Natsume Soseki then im sure you will also like Haruki Murakami. I would recommend "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle" as a good first book to read of Murakami's if your interested in his work.