Introducing myself and my journal: Strong, Sexy and CLOTHED

About Me:
I am a 23 year old single mother living in Southern Colorado. I work at my local food co-op to pay the bills; but, I moonlight as a magazine editor and aspiring author (under my pen name D. S. Knight.) I am a staunch feminist, however I don't believe in the tactic of becoming like men to gain equality-I fully believe in using our own, Divinely given feminine talents and being what we are, WOMEN, to achieve such an end. All people are created equal in my eyes, and until we can realize that, and treat each other as such, we will always be starving for true peace whether we know it or not.

I just let myself be embraced by the Beloved again, for the first time in years, after sitting on a solid, comfy, middle of the line fence both spiritually and metaphorically for my life, for years. This began, consciously anyway, this last Sunday when I was out walking. The sky was so blue that the few wispy clouds that were around were starkly white against it, and the mountains that surround my home on all sides were equally blue at their bases, and even more starkly white where the recent snowfall crowned their tops in a glorious finish. There was only a slight breeze, which, being in Colorado, was rather cold to my gold-encrusted ears, so I put up the hoods to my sweater and my cloak and walked in perfect silence, enjoying the peace, and the privacy of such a beautiful, perfect moment. That afternoon, when I arrived home from my walk, I wrote about this experience at the magazine's website, citing that I had moved past the need for religion to fulfill my spiritual needs, and, like the ancients, had turned to Nature for my spirit-food. I had no idea that that day, and that essay, would change my life forever, for the good, in the week to follow.

Since that day I have been studying Universalist Sufism and Islam-and I am enamored with what I have found. What a jewel is hidden in one of the world's biggest religions that, we, as Americans and Westerners, shunt aside as heathen because we only believe what we have seen on television, and the imbalance that has presented itself over the last few centuries due to extremist, ego-driven view points. I never realized that such spiritualism existed in any religion. Now I am seriously considering converting to Islam. It is not an overnight process, nor do I want it to be, there will be much thought and prayer going into this momentous point in my life.

It is my hope that, whether or not I decide to become a Muslim, the Muslim community in the West can establish the religion of Islam as it was truly meant to be followed and be a guide and inspiration to our tentative friends across the water in rebuilding their communities. Also, I hope quite fervently that the fear surrounding the religion and its culture will be lessened here in America, as the American Muslim community grows.

I also hope that U.S./Foreign relations will improve all over the world as more people become involved in an effort of unity rather than disparity. The United States is not the most popular country at the moment, and in many ways I am really not very proud to be an American despite my rather cushy life. I would like to feel that change in the future.

And, on a personal level, as a writer/editor of speculative fiction, I would really love to see the lessening of the sexed up characters we get in our fictions. I am tired of seeing scantily clad women wielding big swords next to men so covered in armor you can hardly tell there is anyone inside it. I am all for being sexy and strong, but women don't need to show cleavage and our nether regions all the time to do so. While I'm on that subject, I'd like people to realize that men are beautiful as well, and are just as sexy as women. Women's bodies do not hold the exclusive right as a sex-object.

Well, that is me in a rather large nutshell. Before I get even further onto my soap box I'll say, I'm glad to be here, and Bright Blessings.

Until next time,

~Bonnie J. Stone

My Passions:
writing, theater, music, spirituality, my daughter

My Challenges:
overcoming my own, inherent, laziness, learning how to work with my body's rhythms rather than against them, not slandering others

My Vision for the Future:
a world in which women are not afraid to go out on their own at any time, day or night. Also a world with fewer scanitly clad women in sci-fi, fantasy and horror

My Areas of Expertise:
writing, theater/acting, impromptu speaking, engaging people in conversation, music