yes we can

In this new era of activism, we decided the list had to include attending a rally or protest of some sort. Since the passing of Proposition 8, LA has somehow become the epicenter of a movement for marriage equality. On Wednesday, March 4, 2008, we attended the Eve of Justice. It started st the historic Olvera Street Gazebo, and ended with a candlelight march down Main Street to the Courthouse. The evening included entertainment, speakers from all parts of the LA community, and a re commitment ceremony for married couples, and those wishing to be married. It was a rainy night in LA, but as one speaker said, it felt a little like a baptism. I think everyone left with a renewed commitment to keep educating the community and fighting for civil rights for all people.
This issue is so important, that I'm even going to step up on the soap box for a minute here. Marriage is a civil right. It should not be denied based on gender. We make laws prohibiting behavior that infringes upon the rights of others, not laws that enforce personal views of morality. Many people feel that premarital sex is a sin, and damaging to families and society...but you don't see half of California stepping up to take away a person's right to engage in premarital sex. The only morality we should be talking about here is the immorality of the majority taking away the rights of a minority, just because the minority is outnumbered. We should never put civil rights up for a popular vote.
That said - the evening was amazing. I think it's important to gather together with strangers who share your beliefs, at least every once in a while. It's comforting to know you're not alone, and there are other people willing to stand up and say, wait a minute - this just isn't right. And we're going to keep on doing that. As MLK said, "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant."

we've got balls.

The world cannot be governed without juggling. We may have started with the most absurd, useless item on the list. But there's something to be said for that. So, Maggie and I are learning to juggle. Not remotely in the metaphorical sense. Seriously, we're just trying to keep three balls in the air. And we're slowly improving. Don't expect to see us performing on the boardwalk at Venice Beach anytime soon. Bailey the dog has been hit a few times, but remains uninjured. We quickly learned that juggling appears to be an activity better suited to the outdoors. The goal is to be able to juggle two balls and an apple, taking a bite of the apple every time it lands in our hands. Cake, right? We don't feel entirely ready to cross this one off the list yet...so we're going to keep it up. As Hugh Laurie (our favorite tv doctor) once said, "It's good for the soul to be made to feel clumsy."

Let's Get Crackin'

Maggie and I have created a List. Call it what you will - goals, New Year's resolutions - to us, it is just The List. The road map to self-discovery and hilarity. If you're wondering why we are choosing the create a blog about this...well, creating a blog is on The List. So there you go. Read it or don't. We're just happy to cross something off The List. If you're at all interested in the rest of The List, just keep checking in here. We'll keep you posted.