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I'm a thirty-something woman. I've been married since Valentine's Day 1987, although sadly, circumstances have made me decide to end the marriage. I left my husband April 20, 1999. It's an amicable split, but the process is still the most difficult thing I've ever gone through.
I have no kids, but I am an animal lover. The cats and dog stayed with my husband when I left, but I adopted a very sweet, very huge dog on New Year's Day 2000 in Tenerife, Canary Islands. My love for all animals made me decide to become a vegetarian, which I have been since New Year's Day 1991.
A number of people close to me have been victims of cancer, lupus, MS and other auto-immune disorders. I KNOW there is a direct link between these diseases and the poisoned condition of our environment. I'm very concerned about environmental issues and animal rights issues, and am an activist in both areas. I habitually boycott companies that victimize animals or adversely impact the environment, but reward companies I've boycotted with my business once they change the practices to which I object. Of course, I make my feelings known to their consumer affairs departments when I begin or end a boycott.
I love the arts and have always been fortunate in finding homes within an easy drive of the innumerable cultural offerings of the NY Metropolitan area. My current home is in a busier, more populated area than the mountain valley cottage I shared with my ex, but is quite special in its own right. It's a finished attic in a lovely old home on a street of beautifully kept Victorian and Georgian houses. I have charming views and the warmth of sloped ceilings (not the uncomfortable, head-bumping kind) and real hardwood floors, along with a wonderful, large cast iron, claw-footed tub in the bathroom. The flat's magical energy drew me the moment I saw it, and I knew I would be comfortable and happy here.
I wasn't wrong: My landlords, who live with their two children in the rest of the house, are extremely sweet, kind people, and their little ones, aged five and seven, constantly melt my heart. My next-door neighbors are also wonderful, thoughtful people.
Though I've been so happy here, I recently made the decision not to renew my lease, but to move to a larger apartment with a private entrance. However, I hated the idea of leaving and not seeing these people I've come to care about. I was therefore delighted to find a place I like within a five minute walk of where I live now, so I can still enjoy living in this lovely, safe neighborhood which has a strong sense of community as well as a very tolerant, progressive overall mindset and an artistically rich local scene. It's also close to the university I attend, is within a half-hour drive of Manhattan and has great public transportation so my NY friends can visit me easily. :)
An aside: My lease on my new place begins Aug. 1, 2000. My current place will be available then, and my landlords are looking for a new tenant. Anyone interested should contact Jill or Richard at (973)746-9880.
My outlook on life can be a bit radical. I lean toward the liberal side on many controversial issues, but in discussions I frequently find myself standing alone with both liberals and conservatives a little annoyed at me. But at least I think for myself and don't just regurgitate party lines.
I'm a literature and film nut. My taste in films tends toward independent efforts, which are generally more creative than anything put out by any of the major studios. I like all kinds of music except rap (most of it is at best, sexist and at worst, misogynistic) and most Country & Western (I HATE Dwight Yoakam), though I enjoy other variations on Country, like Bluegrass (David Grisman, Tony Rice, Sam Bush) and New Country (Mary Chapin Carpenter, k.d. lang). I LOVE the Blues. I also love classic rock, alternative/progressive, the music of other cultures, classical.... Just about every kind of music.
I am a writer. I hope ultimately to be able to support myself through my writing. Right now I work as a freelance translator while attending college to obtain a degree in English and Film. I should graduate within the next year, upon which I plan to start on my Master's. My idea is to continue my studies and write on the side, and eventually teach at a college and continue writing.
I like to dance. I also enjoy interior design, architecture, photography, and the theatre (in which I generally prefer nonmusicals, though I would not turn down the chance to see anything.). I've been to two operas over the past few months, and I think I'm falling in love with opera, though I feel the thrill comes from live performances rather than recordings. I love ethnic restaurants, especially those that enhance the dining experience with music from their native lands. For fitness, I enjoy yoga and walking/hiking. I LOVE walks in the park near my home at two or three in the morning. So peaceful and magical! Though it's a safe neighborhood, I take my very large, very devoted dog with me for protection. :)
One upside to my marriage ending is that now I'm more free to indulge my love of travel. I recently took an extended trip (three months) with a close friend through the Canary Islands, Morocco and Spain. The majority of the time we stayed at budget places, but they were clean and decent. Anyway, who in their right mind travels to exotic places to stay holed up in a room? Overall, we had a wonderful trip.
On my religion: For years, I expressed my spirituality through Catholicism, the faith with which I was raised. However, a while ago I came to the realization that it no longer works for me. I have a very hard time with the misogyny and the general intolerance rampant in the Catholic faith, since I'm very loving and accepting and can never bring myself to judge or condemn another because of an opinion or lifestyle that differs from my own. Indeed, I'm drawn to people that dare to think and live outside the box.
My spiritual journey has led me to see that just about every belief system has a piece of the Truth, and that maybe the answer is to be open to anything and everything, sort through and discard the useless negatives and keep and treasure the useful positives. I'm especially drawn to Wicca, since it gives voice to the interconnectedness and innate sacredness of everything I've always felt in my gut. Since embarking on courses of study that will lead to my obtaining a Mistress of Wicca certification (like a Master's) and to my becoming a High Priestess and a legally recognized ordained minister, I've had the sensation that I've come home after being away for a very long time, and am constantly learning/remembering things I sense I knew but had forgotten. I also connect strongly with Unitarian Universalism and with Native American spirituality, both of which I feel contain a tremendous amount of Truth.
I'm basically an emotionally healthy, well-adjusted person. Lately I've been through an incredible amount of pain, but I have a feeling it's all stuff I needed to experience to end up where I'm supposed to be. People tell me I'm a good listener as well as talker. I empathize easily with others --maybe that's part of the reason my path sometimes leads through such painful stretches; to heighten my natural empathy. Or maybe it's just all coincidence that I manage to glean benefits from; I don't know (though I'm becoming more and more convinced that there really is no such thing as coincidence). I truly value my friends, and go out of my way to let them know it. I'd enjoy exchanging e-mails with kindred spirits.
Peace, Namaste, Blessed be!
Diana
Send E-Mail to: dianasuk@netscape.net
