[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f8VVxL8de0krztrtakTNLeUTjpnxb4KBOK8yHlFs55Po":3,"$f2KO2-tx7m-KqV3gtN63hnbuERISdG-q9CB_JSiWejJk":12},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"bio_jsonld":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},165423,"Michael McMillian","M",24,null,"michael-mcmillian",[],{"quotes":13,"pagination":104},[14,22,30,36,42,48,60,71,82,93],{"id":15,"quote_text":16,"author_id":5,"source_id":17,"has_image":18,"author":19,"source":20,"quote_tag":21,"commentary":9},3834829,"I really want to do a 'True Blood-Six Feet Under' comic book crossover.",7,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":23,"quote_text":24,"author_id":5,"source_id":25,"has_image":18,"author":26,"source":27,"quote_tag":28,"commentary":29},3285410,"I grew up in the Midwest and had a lot of exposure to big religion. I went to church every Sunday – my mother even sang in the choir – and most families I knew where practicing Christians.",6,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],"**The Backstory**\nMichael McMillian's upbringing in the Midwest, surrounded by big religion and practicing Christians, provides a unique lens through which to examine the intersection of faith and doubt. This quote is likely from a time when McMillian was reflecting on his childhood and the influence of his family's strong Christian values. As a historian, I note that this era (likely the 1970s or 1980s) was marked by a shift in American culture, where traditional institutions like church and family were still highly valued, but the seeds of doubt and questioning were beginning to sprout.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nWhat lies beneath the surface of this quote is a tension between the comfort of tradition and the uncertainty of individual experience. McMillian's statement suggests that his exposure to big religion and the expectations that came with it created a sense of familiarity and security, but also laid the groundwork for him to question and eventually challenge those very same traditions. This paradox highlights the human tendency to seek stability and meaning in established institutions, while simultaneously yearning for authenticity and autonomy.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset to your own life, recognize that the familiar patterns and expectations of your upbringing can both provide a sense of comfort and constrain your potential for growth. By acknowledging and challenging these influences, you can cultivate a more authentic and self-directed path, one that balances the benefits of tradition with the freedom to explore and create your own meaning.",{"id":31,"quote_text":32,"author_id":5,"source_id":25,"has_image":18,"author":33,"source":34,"quote_tag":35,"commentary":9},3285377,"I’m sort of killing two birds with one stone here, getting to write for ‘True Blood’ and being able to put myself in a comic at the same time.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":37,"quote_text":38,"author_id":5,"source_id":25,"has_image":18,"author":39,"source":40,"quote_tag":41,"commentary":9},3285366,"Today’s gratitude buys tomorrows happiness.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":43,"quote_text":44,"author_id":5,"source_id":25,"has_image":18,"author":45,"source":46,"quote_tag":47,"commentary":9},3285359,"You can’t start the next chapter of your life.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[],{"id":49,"quote_text":50,"author_id":5,"source_id":51,"has_image":18,"author":52,"source":53,"quote_tag":54,"commentary":9},2063653,"You can't start the next chapter of your life",4,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[55],{"id":56,"tag":57},5050155,{"id":58,"tag_name":59},1073,"letting-go",{"id":61,"quote_text":62,"author_id":5,"source_id":51,"has_image":18,"author":63,"source":64,"quote_tag":65,"commentary":9},2063650,"You can live each day in a world filled with 'problems,' or rise each morning and embrace a world filled with unseen solutions...eager for you to find them. The decision is yours...both worlds exist. The one you choose is the one you will create.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[66],{"id":67,"tag":68},5050149,{"id":69,"tag_name":70},27147,"each-day",{"id":72,"quote_text":73,"author_id":5,"source_id":51,"has_image":18,"author":74,"source":75,"quote_tag":76,"commentary":9},2063643,"What you believe and focus on becomes your reality.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[77],{"id":78,"tag":79},5050144,{"id":80,"tag_name":81},2955,"believe",{"id":83,"quote_text":84,"author_id":5,"source_id":51,"has_image":18,"author":85,"source":86,"quote_tag":87,"commentary":9},2063636,"For every problem, there exists a solution...and at the very least...an opportunity.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[88],{"id":89,"tag":90},5050139,{"id":91,"tag_name":92},2238,"solutions",{"id":94,"quote_text":95,"author_id":5,"source_id":51,"has_image":18,"author":96,"source":97,"quote_tag":98,"commentary":9},2063632,"Solving problems is at the foundation of our survival.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[99],{"id":100,"tag":101},5050131,{"id":102,"tag_name":103},218,"survival",{"currentPage":105,"totalPages":106,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":107},1,3,10]