Monday, January 1, 2007

Introduction

I am a geek. I am a recovering Pentecostal pastor's kid. I am obsessed with music to an unhealthy degree.

That's really all you need to know, but here are some of the details:

I came fairly close to completing a Bachelor of Humanities degree but instead recently finished with a 'choose your own adventure' degree in 'Culture and Music' at Carleton University. More school is probably in my future (a PhD in anthropology or ethnomusicology perhaps?) but for now I am please to have escaped from the academy. It's nice to be a bookworm on my own terms again.

I once tried to run away from my pastor's kid upbringing by spending a year at a Christian commune in inner-city Chicago. A few years ago an old friend asked if I was Christian: I said I wasn't sure but that if I was, I was an "agnostic Christian with anarchist and universalist tendencies." These days, I tend to identify with the Quaker tradition.

Aside from working at a men's shelter run by said commune, being a TA for a Religion 101 class was one of most rewarding things I've done in my life. That is to say, I am fascinated, moved, and sometimes repulsed by religion.

I think 'truth' is complex, multi-faceted, and non-exclusive — more of an ideal to pursue than something ever achieved. I'd love it it if this blog led to dialogue of all kinds, so please leave comments and feel free to be in touch via e-mail.

I own a disgusting amount of musical recordings. Enduring interests include old acoustic blues, jazz, and country from the '20s and '30s, field recordings from pre-electric societies, and whatever I consider to be 'good' rock music. Newer interests I've recently been exploring include 'freak folk,' free jazz, and black or doom metal.

I helped record a version of the Beatitudes of which I'm quite proud. That led to becoming part of The Blessing Tree and a tour, which was a bit of a mixed experience. I also toured with Seth Martin and the Menders, which was a relentless great experience. I have some of my own music on myspace here, and on this youtube channel.

I now live and work at one of homes of L'Arche Ottawa. L'Arche is a community for people with and without mental handicaps.

Pleased to meet you.

[Last updated 2011-03-13]

5 comments:

  1. BlergJune 1, 2011 at 12:08 PM

    Hey Tim! Since the concept of computer "server" still eludes me, I couldn't access your email address to email you. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I work with a youth group at a church in Lawrence, Kansas and we worked at JPUSA for a week last summer. I was really thankful for my experience there, and was intrigued to find the array of stuff about JPUSA online. Anyway, I read a lot of your "field notes"....thanks for your really balanced, really honest approach.
    Don't waste time reading my blog....It's not really a blog. It's more like an online receptacle for inside jokes with myself. Which everyone needs, I guess.
    Thanks again,
    Erin

    ReplyDelete
  2. Timothy BlinksNovember 21, 2011 at 7:07 PM

    Hi Erin.

    Sorry for late response. I'm glad you appreciated what I wrote, and thankful you told me, and introduced yourself a bit.

    I'd be intrigued to your impressions of JPUSA, as someone who just came for a week with a youth group. If you feel like sharing, comments on this post or the JPUSA one would do, or my e-mail, to spell it out more plainly, is "timothyblinks" at "gmail.com"

    P.S. Took a quick spin through your blog despire your warning. You sound like you live an interesting life (or maybe it's just that you're an interested person, so you often end up doing interesting things), so your blog was interesting.

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  3. AnonymousJanuary 4, 2012 at 7:04 PM

    Hi Timothy,

    I'm a former PK (and actually MK too), in my 40s. I'm married and have a 5 year old. I ran across your interesting blog when I was scanning for JPUSA info on Wikipedia.

    7 years ago I was having very similar (if not exactly the same) issues with "absolute truth" especially as it relates to Christianity.

    I'm an Eastern Orthodox Christian now. It's like nothing I had ever experienced before.

    I think there is an Orthodox Church very close to you, about 5 miles away, at 721 Somerset Street West.

    We Orthodox still use the Julian Calendar that the early Church used, vs. following the "regular" calendar that the Roman Catholic Pope Gregory decreed be adopted in the 17th century. Therefore, our Feast Day of the Nativity of Jesus Christ (aka Christmas) is this Saturday. There is a Divine Liturgy at 10AM. I think you will enjoy it, or at least find it very interesting.

    Best wishes, and Glory to God for all things

    Pete in Chicago
    petebrush1@sbcglobal.net

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  4. Timothy BlinksJanuary 7, 2012 at 5:24 PM

    Hi Pete.

    Thanks for stopping by, reading, and sharing something of yourself. I've been meaning to check out Eastern Orthodox services for some time – Ethiopian Orthodox in particular intrigues me – your nudge might be all that's needed for it to actually happen.

    That said, I've found a home with the Quakers and L'Arche, at least for the moment.

    Grace and peace,
    Tim.

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  5. RachelleMarch 27, 2012 at 5:38 PM

    Hi Tim! I already know you so I don't really need to introduce myself...just found this page for the first time. I've always been fascinated by the Quakers! Hopefully will make it out to a Hootenanny soon! I now have a car to get me there.

    ReplyDelete

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