So, I guess I never put one of these together...

The basics: Russell, 24, graduate student, Ph.D. program in child clinical psychology at DePaul University in Chicago.

I'm a Buckeye in exile, born and raised in Cleveland, and my how I miss it. Been dating Ms. Right for the last 3+ years, and we've been talking about the "M" word lately. (Next summer?)

I've been blessed with being able to really grow in my relationship with God over the past 7 years (my spiritual birthday is April 16), and I recommend that everyone explore that one with everything you have. I'm a Christian, and I believe the most wonderful form of evangelism is living joyfully.

Came to know Over The Rhine through an (undergrad) classmate and friend (Chris Meyers) who would cover "Miles" at his shows. I went to school in the middle of Ohio (Kenyon). Also heard about them through the campus radio station, on which I was a DJ (The Pizza Cutter show... hence the SN...) and for a little while, station manager.

I have a background in psychology, obviously, but I've also been known to pontificate on politics (I'm a "radical moderate"), philosophy, the radio business, Christianity, baking cookies (it's a hobby), and my forthcoming best-selling yet-to-be-written novel.

Other random facts: I'm a flexitarian (mostly vegetarian... with some exceptions), a runner (training for the Chicago marathon in October), and a veteran of nine summers at a day care center. My secret wish is that one day, I could be a truck driver.

There's the basics.

Russell ... you rock. Please accept my belated welcome to the Orchard.

you may have a lot of work to do here

welcome, your bio is in line with your earlier posts
interesting

Hi again Russell,
Thanks for taking the time to 'work' in the playground. I agree we apparently need information, and you might be our resident resource for issues of the psyche.
I love your term flexitarian...I'd never heard it before but I think that is what I am too.
See you around...
T xo

Hi Russell

glad to know you. cool about the truck driving. i have a dream of driving a truck too, but just for one day. maybe i'll see you at a truck stop that one day. i'll look for the guy debating over the slim jim.

nine summers at a day care center...you must really like it. i worked at one for mine months...God bless you.

DJD

The combination of reading that you live in Chicago and the word "pizza" brought to mind Giordano's deep dish, and now I am hungry and wishing I were in Chicago.

Wow, a marathon, hm? I am always in awe of people who can do that. Given that and your long experience in daycares, you seem like a person who is not afraid of pain.

Anyway, great to have you here, Russell. I think you might need to set up a booth a la Lucy in Charlie Brown, with a sign that says "The doctor is in" . . .

hey!

you're interesting, you bake cookies and you freely help those suffering from withdrawl!
get married already!
seriously, thanks for the help.
have a most wonderful time in the apple trees,
d.

Welcome, Russell!

Welcome to the Orchard!

It sounds like we have been in a lot of the same places. My grandparents are from Dayton, OH. I used to live about 1 mile north of DePaul (Did you see their big NCAA win???) And we have the Christian bond (my spiritual birthday is October 16).

Just wondering if you would be willing to share some or all of your testimony, it is always encouraging to hear how people make it day to day in our world!

sup, russell. welcome!

i don't know you at all, but i'm really happy you've found your ms. right!

good'ay, mate.

-kylie

Thank you all for your welcomes. My apologies I didn't reply a little earlier. (I was on spring "break", or what passes for it in grad school.)

To answer a few points made: Yes, day care was a wonderful experience, and occasionally, I break out my "You can't scare me, I worked day care." I actually started training for the marathon accidentally. I needed to drop some weight. Now, I've lost the weight, but I love the running!

I'll be happy to pass out whatever advice I can about psychology. I personally believe that there's no reason I should keep this to myself.

I am taking requests for cookies, and I'm always up for a good recipe. (Anyone got a good pumpkin spice cookie recipe? I know... wrong part of the orchard.)

My DePaul knowledge is shockingly laughable. I have no idea right now who's playing in the NCAA tournament, and was only vaguely aware that dP was playing in the tournament. But, I hope they performed well.

As to my testimony, I am a former atheist ('tis true) who was the most dangerous type of atheist out there... a churchgoing one. Then, one time I was on a retreat and I saw a 250 lb. classmate (and that's 250 lbs. as in he went on to become an offensive lineman at Eastern Michigan) crying out "where are the answers!!!???" He came back into the room and was like "Man, if you're out there, give me a sign." At that very moment, the candle in the middle of the room went out. Being a bunch of guys in the room, we looked for the draft in the window or the explanation that would explain it away... and then there was the very undeniable pervasive feeling that the whole God thing was real.

I'm a big proponent that faith has to have a mystical component. (Mystical properly means "a oneness between Divinity and human.") If it doesn't, you'll never really buy in. Mysticism defies explanation, rationale, and logic. It sets up a really crazy circle. To buy mysticism, you really have to buy into the concept of God. But, to really get into the concept of God, you need the mystical experience.

I liken my experience to being blindfolded on the edge of a diving board. You're not sure whether there's water underneath you or not. If you jump in and there's nothing there, you'll splatter into the concrete below... so a lot of people never jump. I guess my job now is to shout out as loud as I can that there's water, and it's the most wonderful water that you've ever jumped into.

pizzacutter, I think that's a great analogy, and very well-put. Thanks for sharing that.

I second Mandy.

pizzacutter,

Cool testimony.

Hans