department stores and serious thoughts

Today I learned that it's a good thing I intended to use the Macy's gift card I had on sheets instead of something that would have been on the same floor as the perfume department. I also learned that it will be fine with me if I go another two and a half years without setting foot in another standard mall department store.

Then I got to reading a book a friend gave me called A More Excellent Way. It's written by a preacher who, in the first chapter/lesson, points out that there's a bible verse that says essentially that if you don't forgive people who bug you, God can't forgive you, so if you're sick and hoping to be miraculously healed, it won't work.

Church always freaked me out, and I know now that I was just reacting to the crap people spray on themselves when they dress up, plus the Sunday-morning sob stories the minister told. So I know I have church issues, and I don't expect miraculous healing, but I see no harm in forgiving people.

It turns out that you get some perspective when you get really, really sick, so it's much easier to forgive people than I expected.

Well, everybody except for me. Apparently I find being young and having excellent social skills for a physicist borderline unforgivable, so I'm going to have to work on that.