Day 29

Thoughts from the wife...


From what you saw and heard, what was the best part of Quakerism for you? 

I wasn't that involved personally this month except for the fact that George talked to me a lot about it. I didn't go to his little meetings, so I'm not sure exactly what was going on there aside from what he reported. However, I am sort of intrigued by the silence. George won't stop talking about how primitive the whole thing felt and I know he really connected with some parts of it. I guess I liked the idea that Quakers must value everyone equally. As a Korean woman, that really spoke to me. Equality is something that all people should believe in.

What improvements, if any, did you witness in your husband?



Are you going to ask me this question every month? If I'm supposed to say that he improved a lot each month, then I guess I can expect an amazing husband at this end of this thing. It's hard to witness marked improvement because some of these religions blend together. I like the fact that he got really into his family roots this month. It made me feel good about his commitment to family and to, well, commitment. He has become more aware of wasting energy, but he talks about his leg muscles too much now. They're not that impressive yet, but when your legs were as small as his were, any improvement is huge.


What was the most annoying aspect of the religion for you?



There wasn't anything annoying for me really. I think, however, that George could get annoying if he started following all the Quaker causes and got to a point where all he would do is talk about social problems and how to change them. My only concern about Quakers is that they get too excited about being in the fringe and since they are a fringe group, they have much less a burden and, therefore, can change their opinion without any real consequences. George thinks this is the best part, but I'm not sure I agree. 


What do you think of silent worship?


I think that is great. Some of my favorite times in church have been the silent times. An hour seems long, but we all need time to think about our relationships with God and the world.


Do you think George was biased this month because of his family connection to Quakers?


George is always biased. It's funny to see him get excited about stuff because I know why he's overreacting way before he even realizes it. Of course he got more into it because of his family. I have seen that house in Indiana about forty times this month and each time, a new story gets tacked to it. My concern is that he'll use this family connection to push Quakerism ahead of other religions even though he didn't feel as much a connection. 


Would you ever consider becoming a Quaker?


This question never goes away either. I think that Quakerism is pretty interesting and I like the work they do. However, when George and I move to the US and start a family, I'm going to be looking for a community to get involved in. I understand that there might be a Quaker church in the area, but moving to the US is not as easy for me as it is for George. If we were to be Quakers, my pool of friends and experiences would be limited to the one Quaker church in the area. I'm still set on continuing Protestantism for myself, my spirituality and my family. George likes to brush it off, but our family is going to be a little different from others and while uniqueness is a virtue, isolation is not something I want to deal with. At least in the beginning, I cannot see myself joining a Quaker church.


Next month is Jainism. Are you excited?


I have no idea what to expect. George keeps telling me he can't use money, eat food without it being offered and is going back to vegetarianism. Oh, and he told me that he's planning on shaving his head this weekend. It'll be one long month I think.