FedEx Is Evil/ The Search for God/Acceptance

Yes. I swear these things are all related. But really only temporally, in that I want to talk about them today.

First of all, FedEx is evil for the following reasons:

1. I was contacted on Tuesday with the message that FedEx could not locate the address at which I lived to deliver a package to me. FedEx has not discovered the miracle of MapQuest.
2. I called them back to confirm my address and directions to said address.
3. The lovely woman I spoke with promised to make sure that these directions got to the carrier.
4. The next day, I received no package. I called, and was told I should call back the next day because all the carriers had left. Well, obviously, but apparently they forgot the directions to my apartment.
5. Today I received a postcard from FedEx to the effect that they did not have my phone number (despite having called), my address (to which the post card was delivered) or the directions to my apartment (which I gave them on the phone).

I would not be so annoyed about this, but I have been waiting for over a month for this package, which contains two cute head scarves that I would like to wear when I officially become Muslim.

I haven't particularly discussed this topic on my blog, or really anywhere. I know. And I think, given the political climate of the United States, that becoming a Muslim (or accepting that you already were, as it technically works) is not particularly popular. I could understand if my readers (all six of you, whom I love madly) thought I was a little mentally unstable.

There is the argument that I have only made this decision to please my significant person, since Islam happens to be his religion. And I can see how people might get this impression, except for the fact that I didn't start dating him until two months after I made up my mind. At the end of the day, the more that I studied Islam, the more that I found my complaints about Christianity were being answered in a way that I could accept.

I have great respect for Christianity. It's just not something that worked for me.

So there I was, sitting at an educational conference all day and, hijabs or none, I was in such proximity to the mosque that I thought it was a good day to take my shahadah.

It should be noted that I have looked for this particular mosque before and failed. Today counts as strike two. The mosque is allegedly on 10 1/2 Street SW. I could find 10 1/2 Street NW with no trouble, and 10th Street SW. I drove in increasingly maddening circles (and met up with at least four dead ends) for about an hour before I decided that the whole thing was a hoax and went home.

Up until today, I had appreciated the metaphor of the literal and metaphorical search for God in my life. Now, I really would like to profess my faith and work on improving it.

Otherwise, I got a poem accepted by Natural Bridge today for their Spring 2006 issue. It's a poem about a girl with a halo who's obsessed with vultures and being in love. I've always liked the poem myself, since I'm a morbid sort, but never imagined that anyone would actually publish it.

Then I discovered that it was for their DREAMS issue. And the acceptance became stunningly clear. It was a nice end to a day of preposterous misdirection.

I hope for you that your journeys will take you where you're trying to go today.