Bling Bling in the ATL

So I met with the Rabbi and he was very nice even though its not exactly his mission to help Unitarian Universalists educate themselves about Judaism. He gave me a list of steps that I should take and added a few more.

So basically, in a short two weeks, my todo list has grown from...
1. Learn Hebrew, read the Torah, read some books.
to ....
2. Learn Hebrew, read the Torah, read some books, take a 3-month class in Dunwoody that meets once a week for $250.
to last, and hopefully finally...
3. Learn Hebrew, read the Torah, read some books, take a 3-month class in Dunwoody that meets once a week for $250, attend synagogue, AND - Rabbi insists - get BIB to do all of this as a couple.

I think the point where I force BIB to take a Judaism 101 class in Dunwoody for three months that meets once a week is the point where I can no longer humanly meet the requirements set before me. "I mean, whats next?" I asked BIB, "my first born child?" BIB fixed me with a look and nodded. "Yup. You're catching on."

But - to be honest the Rabbi's instinct was sound, though the content of his advice was off. If any actual learning takes place on my part, BIB's going to be involved one way or another. Best to do that openly, rather than after the fact, by accident. And - there is something in this for BIB. We were talking about why we can't do Passover with BIB being the only knowledgable Jew. I compared it to a conversation - BIB needs someone to hold up the other end. BIB agreed, and said that having Passover with a bunch of non-Jews is like having a conversation with a bunch of retards (not a PC statement for 8 different reasons, I know.) You respect them because they're people, but... the conversation doesn't really go anywhere. So maybe instead of Judaism 101 class in Dunwoody, substitute a Passover where BIB and I can have a proper conversation, get drunk, dork out. Or not. I don't know. But once we figure it out, we should do it and it'll be fun.

The Rabbi also gave me a 3CD set of the Shabbat prayers - which are pretty much essential for someone like me to ever actually participate in a service. I started listening to them today, and whoa..... flashback.

I'm 15, in my room in Saudi, memorizing Qu'ran for a test coming up. The AC is blasting AND the window is open, because thats how I like it. I've got surrealist paintings EBF has cut out of the Mansfield library books and sent to me tacked on the walls. My dad walks by and I am acutely aware of how weird it must be for my parents that their teenage daughter's room either sounds like:

1. PJ Harvey screaming about how she's going to cut a mans legs off or...
2. an Imam

And that dichotomy is pretty much a good description of

1. how I feel on the inside: (I might as well be dead... but I could kill you instead)
   
2. how I sound on the outside: (Bismillah arrrahman arrraheem... )
   

Took me a minute to back off of that lovely childhood memory, and I still have a lump in my throat and a pit in my stomach. Had to remind myself: while Hebrew and Arabic may sound similar, memorizing Qu'ran as a class requirement in a religious police state is different than voluntarily seeking out knowledge for fun in Atlanta.

I think that I will have to keep that distinction in mind as I move forward. This has got to be fun and worthwhile for me, (and BIB) or no good can come of it.