One obvious thing is that I’m not writing enough.

I’m too busy moping, feeling isolated even as I work to isolate myself.

.:.

A couple people from the neighborhood came over and asked why we weren’t so involved in the neighborhood anymore. My son and I told them, and a couple days later the neighborhood council called to set up a meeting the next day. So I guess word travels fast in the neighborhood.

What we told them, what I told them is that it’s become very difficult for us to be associated when the neighborhood has become such a focal point of social conservatism. And when the flag of religious freedom seems to be more of a justification of using the same flagpole to beat down others than anything else.

One of the guys was at least listening and the other guy was pretty bowled over. It was a polite conversation but it was obvious that something large had happened.

What my son told them is how disturbed he was at the sharp increase in calls to the suicide hotlines after the neighborhood’s policy regarding people in same-sex marriages (and their children).

One of the two hadn’t heard of the policy, but the other had.

There’s this big message that you should pray for the confirmation that the policy is correct and inspired. That message has – no, that’s someone else’s story to tell.

I’m reminded of sitting through a Sunday School lesson on Abraham obeying the commandment to kill his only son, a lesson where my only thought was, “why are we studying this?” If I was commanded to kill an innocent, it’s not happening and I’ll gladly suffer any next-life consequences.

One of the two said he was disappointed that people with our opinions weren’t at the neighborhood meetings to voice our opinions. But after years of experience, my feeling is that such opinions are almost always “corrected” by older fundamentalists who feel they have more authority. Let’s face it, you’ll never go wrong expressing a fundamentalist/conservative opinion at a neighborhood meeting. But go the other way and some dinosaur someone will make sure to “correct you.”

One of the two also said that just today in the neighborhood meeting someone brought up equality in genders and a comment was made by a dinosaur, “And now they’re asking for equal pay, too.”

The fact that the teacher replied with, “And they should get it!” doesn’t really cure the discomfort that sitting in that meeting, hearing such statements made, brings.

A while back I missed a neighborhood meeting where the teacher was advocating bland dress and bland haircuts, saying anything stylish was prideful behavior. It boggles my mind. And it always has.

The neighborhood. Wow.

One important thing about the course we have taken for our family regarding the neighborhood – it’s a very sad thing.