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Ororo Munroe's avatar

1. Do you believe in Arty? If not what’s your secret? - I believe in the Universe. And I believe she is female.

2. Did you pray for the Eagles or the Chiefs? Arty surprised us all. Hehe. - Nope on a rope. I'm not into typical sports. I'm all for gymnastics and ice skating. LOL

3. Are you a disgruntled manifester? Would you buy that t-shirt? - I AM! And I would TOTALLY buy this T-shirt.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Love ice skating and gymnastics too. 🥰👏

I need to make that t shirt.

The Universe conspires to take care of us. Thats mantra no 5.

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Ofifoto's avatar

A great essay. I think faith appears in many different forms. My faith appears in Nature & music and people. Like the line from the song "For Good" from "Wicked" states:

"I've heard it said

That people come into our lives

For a reason,

Bringing something we must learn

And we are led

To those who help us most to grow

If we let them,

And we help them in return

Well, I don't know if I believe that's true

But I know I'm who I am today

Because I knew you."

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Love this. Thx for posting. 🙏 🥰

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Shelly Mazzanoble's avatar

Love this! And I would totally buy this t-shirt!

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

🙏🙏

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Iris's avatar

yes, I would buy the t-shirt. you could add: "Fuck Arty" to the shirt also.

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Donna McArthur's avatar

Yes! Can you please create this T-shirt so I can buy one. (I also want one that says Optimistic Discontent).

Bravo, well done, brilliant job tackling the hard question here. You already know where I stand kindred sister❤️

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx, Donna. Love your slogan too.

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Vicki Tashman's avatar

I love this essay! And I loved listening to you reading it! Have you ever thought about voice over work for audio books? You’d be perfect. But getting back to Arty, I’m a believer and always has been. Arty is there for me when I need a parking spot and when I need to get through surgery (along with my sister.) Ah, you’re my Arty! ❤️💕❤️💕

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx, sis. I would love to do voiceover work. Arty rocks.

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Just plain Rivka's avatar

Very difficult to write about G-d in an open curious way, and not a cringe way.

You have done that here.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx, Rivka. 🥰🙏

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Chris Stanton's avatar

I’m a believer, and though I didn’t pray for the Eagles, I did have a feeling they were going to win and was thrilled when they did. And I also have an essential tremor, but I never understood why they call it that since I could absolutely live without it.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

I’ve never met a fellow member of the ET club except my dad. And yes. It’s not essential that my hand shakes.

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Iris's avatar

absolutely re: essential tremor. what is essential about an essential tremor? if it's essential how have I managed to spend my entire life up to now without it? what is it a prerequisite for? what comes next??? essential eye blinking?

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

I doubt the discoverer was Dr E. Sential.

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Chris Stanton's avatar

I wish it could be treated with essential oils

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Norman T. Leonard's avatar

I refer to Arty as The Great Whomever. Tomato, tuh-motto. Good stuff, CK, as usual. :)

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Love your version. Hehe. Thx, Norm. 🙏

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Mark Dolan's avatar

1. Yes but I use a pseudonym. Through the ages there have been a whole lot of names but Arty seems like fun. What a fun read.

2. No -- always a Bills fan so didn't care after the refs stole the last game. Put Philly in the game every year. Whether they win or lose, the fans are dumb enough to destroy their own city so I guess it is good for GDP.

3. No -- love a good t-shirt though. -- I'm a fan of the satire site TheOnion.com -- I might buy a t-shirt that followed this theme -- https://theonion.com/chick-fil-a-raptured/

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

1. Now I want to know the pseudonym. Hey you?

2. Lots of memes about Philly folks after a game. Hehe.

3. Great Tee.

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Mark Dolan's avatar

1. I thought both George Burns and Morgan Freeman weren't bad :) Jim Carrey was GREAT in Bruce Almighty.

2. I did a job about 25 years ago that meant a fair amount of time in Philly. Never met an angrier lot of people in my life.

3. I think the rapture is the closest that organized religion ever got to Scientology. Remember that craze of a series of books and TV miniseries about it. Too fantastic of a claim for people to ignore.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Yikes. Didn’t know about Philly folks. Obviously a generalization but not a good reputation.

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Mark Dolan's avatar

I have a cousin and other family who live near Philly. They are great. There are always exceptions to the rule :)

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Tara Penry's avatar

(1) I sometimes wonder if and how I'll tell my Arty story - like you looking at your twins. (What tinies they must have been! Scary for you?) So far, it always deflates in the telling, so I keep it close. I think David Roberts is onto something. G-d probably *did* say "Call me Arty" to Moses. And then: "That's just between us. You know they need something stronger down the hill."

(2) On Superbowl Sunday, my daughter and I went to the grocery store around kickoff time to buy avocados at rare, blow-out prices, plus a box of cake mix. We came home, and I burrowed into my Substack reading while one mighty teen made first-time guacamole and the other made a first-time cake. Was there a football game, also? We got the part we wanted: guacamole and cake. Mmm-mmm. I love teenagers.

(3) I cannot be disgruntled about anything if the kids are willing to do the cooking. I am like Snoopy leaping and twiddling his feet for joy. Also, this post gives me joy. You are the bee's knees.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

1. Yes. He definitely told Moses to keep His name on the down low. Hehe.

Preemie babies was terrifying. They’re almost 28 now. True miracles. Thank you, Arty.

2. Haha. Yum. Perfect food for any Sunday. I have a good gf recipe. 😉

3. Thx so much, Tara. 🥰❤️

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Tara Penry's avatar

Hallelujah! ;-) I'll DM you when we're ready to graduate from boxed cake mix to gf. 😆

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Amen, sis. 😂

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Kim Van Bruggen's avatar

Thanks for the chuckle this morning Carissa. I'm definitely a believer. Have been since I was very little and had no idea what this 'faith' inside me was. It was when I got married that both hubby and I brushed up on what it all actually meant to believe. I admit though I struggle with the religious right of today versus faith and belief in Arty. I have to remind myself religious dogma is not faith. But, this has been an issue with organized religion since the beginning of time, no?

I did not watch the game and I didn't care who won... blasphemy!!! I know! But, hey, I was at my grandsons birthday party and it was much more fun. xo

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

That’s amazing that you never faltered. Great line— “religious dogma is not faith.”

🥰🙏

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Janice Walton's avatar

Yes, I do.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

🥰🙏

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Logan Darrow's avatar

Arty is real!

inspiration + observation + energy + diligence = Arty

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Love this. He’s a math equation with words. 🥰🙏

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Logan Darrow's avatar

Or maybe it's "she"

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Sue Ferrera's avatar

I'm definitely a believer and a manifester, I just don't have the details worked out yet. And I'm okay with that. Nature is my go to, over and over again. It just never disappoints. 💕

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Thx for commenting. Nature is mystical, isn’t it? 🥰

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Wendy Parciak's avatar

I believe in Nature (no pronouns!). Being in the woods or the mountains always calms me and helps me remember that I am but a microscopic cog in this vast universe.

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Good Humor by CK Steefel's avatar

Yes indeed. We are insignificant. The ego gets us in trouble.

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