(... and ...)

WINNER OF THE INAUGURAL "A HOY" AWARD FOR BLOGGING EXCELLENCE!

(Please see http://community.beliefnet.com/journals/sblog_id/post_id/833/27427 for details)

EVERYONE, I'M HONORED AND HUMBLED BY THESE AWARDS. THANK YOU FOR READING!

"When rejected by his father he became industrious and motivated; when rejected by his mother he became proudly independent; when rejected by his siblings he became deeply compassionate; but when rejected by the family dachshund he became a complete nut case."

-- a quote combining two of my interests, depression and dachshunds, from the case files of Sigmund Freud (of course!)

For those who don't know me, I'm Larry, a.k.a. "Doxieman" after my adorable miniature dachshund Schumie (named after the German racing champion, former Ferrari superstar Michael Schumacher).

My "Doxieman Blog," my other activities on Beliefnet, and my volunteer work IRL when I lived in the New York/New Jersey area (I hope to resume it in my new home ...) have given me the reputation of a "depression activist." I know the label is a compliment, but I prefer to think I'm just someone who's realized after a long time that there are so many other people in my boat who I can give my support and tell my experiences to -- even if I'm not always 100% myself. 

As for my background ... I'm a Jesuit-educated ex-altar boy who was seduced (in a good way) by Catholic ritual and then spiritually crushed as the true implications of Vatican doctrine for a healthy, normal, heterosexual who doesn't want kids became apparent. I have a palpable irony detector, so my personality often comes out like Ralph Waldo Emerson or Walt Whitman, embracing instead of rejecting the contradictions in my life. Likewise, my sense of humor is that of the sardonic Will Rogers, except when I get prickly and it comes out more like the acidly sarcastic Don Rickles ...

As for my personal beliefs today ... to cite movies, the Bible, and music: Kevin Spacey's closing monologue in "American Beauty' and Kevin Costner's Profession of Faith from "Bull Durham" are appealing (LOL); my life over the 10 years has echoes of the Book of Job (or, from the New Testament, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10) -- how do you survive the nearly unsurvivable?; and especially the last stanza of "The Impossible Dream" literally make me tear up. Life is, after all, the ultimate quest.

When I have equanimity with all this, I realize, like Qoheleth (King Solomon) in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, "To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven." But when I'm struggling instead, like Jacob in Genesis 32, I wrestle with G-d.

I have so much to be grateful to Beliefnet for -- I have met so many wonderful people, especially my gorgeous, amazing, kind, intuitive, sensitive, empathetic, sexy girlfriend Ana, whom I never would have known without this site. (With matchmaker assistance from Beliefnet's own Rev. Laurie Sue Brockway, Therese Borchard, Holly Rossi, and several of our mutual friends.)  We are now planning our future, as I have moved to South Florida to be together with her in person as well as in spirit.

I won't be here as often in 2009 (see my New Year's Resolution posted on 12/30/08 in the Doxieman Blog) as I settle in with my new family -- Ana has two teen-age boys -- but I will be stopping in from time to time to say hi and to get support as needed as well as give it.  Beliefnet is a treasure, and despite some occasionally odd experiences here (don't get me started on Rod "Crunchy Con" Dreher), I would recommend it to anyone from the most skeptical to the most faithful.

PS -- If you would like to know more about me, Therese Borchard (another friend who has helped me so much through Bnet) has published a biographical interview of me -- at least before I met my dear Ana a year ago! -- at http://blog.beliefnet.com/beyondblue/2007/11/larry-parker-how-do-you-move-b.html