"Different"

"You're just different. That's why people don't like you."

She sat motionless and let the girl repeat the stingy words. She just listen.

"You can't change who you are. You brag to much, you can't afford to do what we do and no one likes a tag-a-long."

You're stupid. You're ugly. You're poor. You lack any redeemable talent.....She knew that she had been and always would be, "that kid" in the neighborhood. And as she watched her own, bounce out to the street to get in on a game of pick up basketball, and watched the kids silently slink away to play at another hoop, she knew, she'd passed it on to her own kids.

She knew how to "fit in" so that this wouldn't happen. A social and religious straight jacket. Put it on, smile and pretend to happy and when the urge to commit suicide from following rules that didn't fit, overwhelms you, just continue on your merry way. You're the only fool who feels like that and no one cares what you think, or how you feel. They just want you to smile and conform. You're easier to deal with that way.

The straight jacket is to small, so, she just sat down and cried. Cried for her child left holding the ball, cried for her kids who have to pay for her behavior. Cried for the narrow-minded seeds walking away and the source that would water them the rest of their lives.

It isn't fair. It's life. Some days, it sucks.

Politically Incorrect

Hee, heh. I found a homeschooler online who declares herself "politically incorrect". Girl after my own heart. She too, lets her kids watch hours of television, play video games and all manner of the unspeakable, and, she swears. Who couldn't love this woman. Now, if only we lived in the same neighborhood.

When the Lord Closes a Door....

...Somewhere he opens a window. Did you hear the tremendous whoop that erupted from my house?! Oh happy day!

I didn't move into the neighborhood without open eyes. I was not, in any respect, naive to the culture, habits and propensities of the LDS majority. I, think, I was overly optimistic. I was leaving an open, welcoming group of families with mixed ideas, religions and world views. I spent ten years with these families. I, thought, erroneously, that I would encounter the same atmosphere in our new habitat. I realized that it was not this way when I was growing up, but this is the 21st century, we have the INTERNET, it had to be different. Or, not.

I've spent the better part of the last year receiving, by way of the vine, the strange and unnerving bits of gossip that are floating around about me, the Offspring and the pseudonymous hubby. It went from creepy, to oddly charming, to inexplicably shocking, to down right uncivilized. I find myself, frequently, scratching my head and wondering...WTF!

Last week a timid, beautiful woman arrived at my door. Stylishly clad in a bold, winter white coat, skinny jeans and a turquoise print shirt, she politely apologized for interrupting and tried to quickly state her business. I had a strange inkling that this was more than serendipitous, so I enthusiastically invited her in. Glory be! She disappointedly turned down coffee and a glass of wine. Not because she doesn't drink, but instead because she didn't want to leave her husband for to long with the baby. (He's ill equipped with mammary glands to feed the little bugger)

WAIT! She drinks? She can't make it through the day without numerous cups of coffee? Her kids attend private school because....wait for it....she's turned off by the LDS neighbors and their children!

I walked her to the door. Politely bid her a good evening, promising to have she and her husband for dinner, shut the door and Swan Laked through the rotunda and deftly into the kitchen, leaping like the fool I felt, before I fell flat on my ass and was reduced to giggle fits.


Throw open your shutters, ye maids and lads. Raise your glasses to the sky, Misadventure and the pseudonymous hubby have drinking buddies in the hood.

Hellllooo, Ladies!

Uh, he's only the CUTEST two year old there is! But, I may be biased.

Civility

My Gran taught me that there are subject in life that are not, out of a sense of civility, respect and decorum, discussed with anyone unless well acquainted and in private. That one should never assume anything, that one should never discuss the business of others, period. And, when in doubt, or cornered into such a conversation, be assertive but polite and request that the conversation be resumed elsewhere.

I'm am trying. I am really trying. I've stopped accepting invitations to "neighborhood" events. I've stopped trying to be "friendly" with the next door neighbor (which means I've ceased inviting her to playgroup or over for coffee. I KNOW she doesn't drink it, but I'm trying to be friends! Stupid me.) But every time I think that I should attempt another go, get back on that horse, pick your metaphor, I get slapped down HARD.

In the last two weeks: I've been notified by a neighbor that she is putting together a phone list/map of the neighborhood and in the course of the conversation she informed me that she knew that "I was sensitive about the "church". Really? And how would she know this? I do not know you, where you live or who you are and you "know" that I am sensitive about the "church?!" I'm so glad that I could be informed of my own feelings, being that I was unaware that I was sensitive about the "church". And I have been informed by another "kindly" soul that it must be hard for someone who is just so, 'real', to blend with a conservative group.

Good grief. WTF! Let's review Great Gran's rules of appropriate etiquette.

"there are subject in life that are not, out of a sense of civility, respect and decorum, discussed with anyone unless well acquainted and in private. That one should never assume anything, that one should never discuss the business of others, period."

Now, Gran wasn't perfect, she carried this concept a little to far at times. She had a bought with breast cancer in her late sixties that she only informed her children about, and at one point, didn't even want them to tell their spouses. She didn't feel it was appropriate conversation.

Religion, is like your unmentionable, you don't air your feelings, opinions, or thoughts, in public or with whom you are not well acquainted. It's disrespectful, impolite, and offensive. It is a private matter that you keep between close friends. Incidentally, I have no sensitivities nor proclivities toward "the church". It's your under silks, it's not appropriate discussion. I DO, however, take issue with intelligent individuals who consistently abate reason and rationality. If your religious predilection prevents you from having ability to think critically, then I suppose that the obvious conclusion you make, in your thought process, is that I might be sensitive to your religion. But that is not the case, it's your deliberate ignorance. And my opinion of you (and your religion) is not bolstered by the fact that you use tidbits of gossip, to try and absolve (or perhaps justify) yourself of your stupidity.

In simple English, I've lost my acceptance of ignorance. It's uncivilized. The silver lining? I've now got volumes to write about. Between this...what shall we title it? and our "Little Wave", I can keep someone out there entertained for centuries. What ya' think Dolly? Speaking of our "Little Wave"......

In - Tolerant

re⋅pub⋅li⋅can  /rɪˈpʌblɪkən/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ri-puhb-li-kuhn] Show IPA
–adjective 1. of, pertaining to, or of the nature of a republic.
2. favoring a republic.
3. fitting or appropriate for the citizen of a republic: a very republican notion.
4. (initial capital letter) of or pertaining to the Republican party.

–noun 5. a person who favors a republican form of government.
6. (initial capital letter) a member of the Republican party

Someone who favors a republic; an anti-monarchist; Someone who favors social equality and opposes aristocracy and privilege; Of or belonging to a republic; Favouring a republic.

Read it again. With the predominance of the Christian Right in this country affiliating themselves with the Republican party, my patience is waning with the hypocrisy and oxymoronic behavior.

I am, at heart, a Republican. But I grew up in the mecca for the Republican party. It drove me to drink and to be an "unaffiliated". I hate parties.

SideTrack....

I've got volumes to share, but we've been hijacked. Periodically I will be begging for you to rally for Miss Daisy. She's had her 2x4 moment in life and we need to be there!

Let Daisy know how much we love and adore her!

If you don't, I'll post about you.......

Let's Leap

Years ago this site was available to anyone who happened along. We ran into some problems with that. I seem to get a lot of unsolicited advice, visiting and commenting. So, to save my sanity, I made viewing a private affair.

Recently, I have had a number of requests to "see" what I write. Funny, I haven't written in quite some time, so really there is nothing to "see". Which of course elicits requests for me to write. Heh, heh, someone actually wants to read this blither? No shit.

Okay, if random acts of thinking interest you, be my guest. Read on, blog warriors. Let's play catch up.

In the two years since I stopped writing on a regular basis I have, been back to college, been drafted to care for the cutest 2 year old on the planet, had a home school child enter the "Jr. High" era, learned to teach Algebra, built a house, moved, sold a house and various other projects that seem to swallow up ones life.

I've got so much to review, I don't know that there is enough space to type it all. So, we'll just work with the current chuckle in my life. I say chuckle because that really is the only way to observe this fiasco and because, in my life, if it can't be entertainment then it just isn't worth the effort.

So, I moved. This, is a daunting task. I don't recommend it on a regular basis, if ever. I can say, without reserve, that I will be carried out of this domicile, feet first. Moving is NOT in my future. With that said, it was, in a word, exciting. And not in the "oooooh goody we get to move", sense of the word exciting. No, this was not a laugh a minute kind of adventure. But then, I do excel at MisAdventure, so would you expect anything less of me?

Moving day was comprised of the following. Weeks of packing in advance. Moving what we could, in advance. Tiring of the stress in moving and resorting to hiring someone to move it for us. Crying children who wouldn't get off the bed when the movers needed to disassemble the bed. Wailing children as the truck pulled away from the house. Crying children as the truck arrived at the new house. Hiccuping children as the movers tried to include the Offspring in putting their new rooms together. Panic when the movers discover water and sewage in the basement...on the new carpet. Excitement as the plumber, the general contractor, the rooter contractor, the city engineers and the county arrive to decide what is wrong and who should fix it. Serve Pro arriving to clean up the mess. Family arriving to "help"...(Their hearts were in the right place.) And months of living in a contemporary cardboard motif. Whooh, and that brings us to one year later.

The area we moved to is really nice....I miss my old neighbors. I miss my old neighborhood. I miss...hmmm. My new neighbors are well meaning people. They are, well meaning. We'll just leave it at that. In the coming weeks We'll have volumes to share, I won't try and bring you up to speed, yet.

So, if you are new to this spot of misadventure, hold on to your hat. I will say exactly what I am thinking. I will probably include you. I will never use real names, with one exception and I will, without malice or intent, probably offend you. Don't worry, you'll get over it, I usually do.