Title: Gaia Explorer

Gender: Male

Age: 32

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Chinese Sign: Wood Rabbit

Location: Iowa City, IA

First off, I go by the name Marmalade on the web because that is the name of my beloved childhood kitty. Marmalade died years ago, but I've had many pets since then. In the past, I've been owned by a variety of animals.  Presently, I have a female calico named Stella Blue and a male grey tuxedo named Grimalkin. They are my only roommates and much easier to get along with than human animals.

I work for the City, but my job is uneventful and I try to think about it as little as possible when I'm not working. When the weather is nice, I like to hackysack and go for walks in nature. In the wintertime, I tend to become reclusive and apathetic.

I spend a lot of time reading and writing no matter what the season.  I have a wandering mind and I flit from book to book.  I have tons of books I'm in the middle of.  I finish most books I start even if it takes a few years.  I used to read a lot more fiction, but it hasn't drawn me much in the last several years.  Fiction in the form of graphic novels I've found more compelling.

I love fantasy in any kind of medium. I can accept the worst failings in fantasy just as long as its imaginative. I even prefer the non-fiction authors I read to have a strong sense of imagination. However, this past year, I've been getting my fantasy fix from movies and tv shows.

I'm the type who writes all of the time one way or another. I used to journal obsessively for years and was really focused on fiction writing. I got burned out on journalling and I now express most of my thoughts on discussion boards, but I've only recently decided to start a blog. As for fiction writing, I've pretty much put it on the backburner for the time being. I'll return to it again… someday. Even though my mind wanders, I eventually come back(again and again) to my many enduring interests.

I've always been a spiritual person… in all of my past lives… just kidding, not all of them such as that one life when I was a slug. I've been questioning as long as I can remember. I grew up in New Thought Christianity(Unity) and have attended a Unitarian-Universalist church some. The main thing that fuels my spirituality and my seeking nature in general is my long-term depression, and it acts as a shadow to the light of the New Thought ideals with which I was raised. My dissatisfaction and curiosity drive eachother. I learned to question deeply from my father who has a keen intellect and was always willing to listen to me as a child.

I'm a very confused person… with a modicum of insight. I see the validity in so many different perspectives and I have obsessive monkey-mind syndrome. I'm sure I think way too much for my own good… which I must blame on my parents. My dad's intellectuality and my mom's obsessive mind combined to form me. I'm fortunate to have a strong spiritual side(which I also get from my parents) that keeps me open to life's non-rational side. I've had many spiritual experiences that have given me a genuine sense of hope and faith. Maybe I'm even more fortunate to have family and friends who I'm very close to.

As for what brings me to an on-line community like this, Jungian typology(MBTI) is what caused me to become truly interested in the potential of the internet. There is so much info out there on this subject and dozens of discussion boards and yahoo groups. My personality type is INFP(Introversion iNtuition Feeling Perceiving), and the first discussion board I joined was for INFPs(Globalchatter). INFPs are a bit rare in the real world, but pretty common on the web. I've gained much insight into myself and into others through typology. I've probably studied it more thoroughly than any other subject.  Although, I have studied integral theory about as much.  I know at least one of the bloggers on Gaia from integral forums.

I've been addicted to on-line discussions ever since joining Globalchatter, and I now belong to a bunch of boards. But there are only a few that I'm a regular on.  I've joined communites similar to Gaia, but I was never active on any of them.

I should add that I'm not an entirely serious guy. I have a very humorous side… it keeps me sane… laughing at myself and the world.  I also get my very dry(and absurd) sense of humor from my dad. I believe that when it comes to humor the weirder the better. When a happy mood hits me, I become quite silly. I only wish happy moods hit me more often.

I want to end by mentioning the place I live in which is Iowa City. Iowa isn't known for being a place most people seek out. I won't speak for the rest of the state, but I love Iowa City. I grew up here some when I was younger and I've lived here more years than anyhere else(Bellefontaine, OH; Deerfield, IL; Columbia and Clemson, SC; Black Mountain, NC;Flagstaff and Grand Canyon, AZ). Besides my lifelong bestfriend living here, its an awesome town for its size. If you're seriously into fiction, you probably know about Iowa City. Its the home of the oldest writer's workshop in the world. Also, it hosts an international writer's workshop and famous writers come here for readings on a regular basis

If I didn't live here, I'd probably either live in Portland, Or or Asheville, NC… or maybe beautiful Southern Indiana where my mom's side of the family has lived for longer than anyone can remember.

Member Since: Thursday, March 13 2008

Last Visit: Today.

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