Hey, they're birds of a feather. When Rudy tried to move his girlfriend into the mansion with his

wife and family, wifey had to take him to court to stop it.

Any pounding you might endure by a bully, unprotected by onlookers, is NOTHING compared to

the pounding you'd give yourself if you failed to stand up for justice. That's the price of character. Steep, but worthwhile. As a matter of fact you don't really have any other option.

Besides, when bullies realize they can't keep you down even if they might knock you down sometimes, they'll be a little more inclined to think twice because they're also lazy.

Personally, I like to encourage them to think thrice (at least) by leaving all the bite and claw marks possible, regardless of who 'wins'. Maybe that knocks me down a notch or two on the honor scale, but I've also noticed if they think - right or wrong - that their intended target welcomes the chance to whip their butt, it saves a lot of wear and tear on both of you. That's one reason the xenophobic trogs here don't pick on me directly very often; years of experience taught them I'll fight the devil himself and come back for more. That in itself, by my lights, means I've earned my peace and quiet. If I've been cut down to a mere 5', there are plenty of other folks walking around short a few body parts too.

I try to remember this message when I walk down the street and have to fight the urge to slap every

teabagger I see, which would be just about everybody. How can I expect others to listen to this man if I won't????

Fascinating, both OP and first reply.

See why I feel this Group has been such a blessing to me? I love to listen even when I have to admit that I might have absolutely nothing to add to the conversation except to state the obvious, that I don't.

A great example to all. I don't consider myself fit to tie her shoelaces.

Glad to hear the bill's dead. It was awful and never should've seen the light of day.

However, my opinion of the majority of Kansans shows a noticeable uptick.

Thank you for that note. Makes me feel better.

Not to ensnare you as an enabler, but I still find it comforting. This group IS my major remaining connection to the denomination of my choice, and I treasure it beyond measure.

Kindly refer to post 7; your post count seems to indicate you're a newbie. (WELCOME, BTW!)

As to the RC tradition of hermits voluntary and otherwise: I'm glad that God's the one who gets to say whether I'm still Catholic or not, rather than any earthly servant. If the pope himself (ANY of them) excommunicated me, I'd still consider myself what I choose to be, which remains more between God and me rather than the Church and myself. I must concede, however, that whether this belief means I'm extra loyal to the Church or a heretic might be open to interpretation. Regardless, I like to consider us stuck with me.

Yes, although that can become problematic when churches resemble a war zone.

Very good point.

(Spoiler Alert : anyone already familiar with my oft-told tale needn't expect any new details! )

As an Army brat and later wife, I traveled a great deal, you can imagine. Never anywhere even once did I ever feel adrift because to me the universality of the church meant I would always be among family.

Until I retired to a remote, tiny MidWest town that did happen to have a small Catholic mission. This town began as one of the earliest area settlements; meaning the population, such as it is, has been at each others' throat an uncommon length of time. During the Civil War all the churches shut down because public gatherings proved grand opportunities for shootouts. Since then the feuds and divisions have taken on a life of their own, and I doubt the origins are well remembered. But the division is there and it still runs deep.

Unfortunately the Catholic mission has not been immune. In my first 4 or 5 years here when I was able to drive or walk the 6 blocks uphill and down to church, I saw so much animosity (sometimes directed at me) drive many people away. Eventually I couldn't take it anymore either.

So now I just walk around the corner to a comparatively mild UMC where my determined 'charm offensive' offset the equally determined xenophobia. At least a bit. They know I'll at least consider myself Catholic to the end of my life no matter how many other people would challenge that designation. What I appreciate is how eventually most did scoot over an inch or two on the bench to give me a perch. It's precarious and tenuous but still of great comfort.

That's how strong the desire for community can be. I've descended to the point where my monthly walk to the library largely centers on reading weekly newspaper obits to see if my main nemesis has died yet so I can return to the mission. If I can even walk that far then. What I will say has been good about the last 8 years is the lesson I've learned about celebrating each and every little blessing. It's my personal goal to develop genuine love for more people and to be more worthy of love(?) in return.

Fighting is easy. I was born knowing how to do that.