The Adventure Continues

Church folks -- you just have to love 'em.

Y'all know that my church life has been very important to me. It always has really and because Lovey was a minister, well, it kind of catapulted me into a totally different realm of "churchiness."

Right now I am enjoying my church life. I am a member of a wonderful church that accepts me for who I am. I don't have to worry about hiding my gayness from anyone. I am not sucked into anyone's game of who is more spiritual than whom. I am just me...and allowed to find my own way to God.

Well, if you are a long time reader here, you also know that during that dark period of my life when I was trying so desperately to regain my footing after the separation and during the divorce, Lovey pretty much trashed me at the large United Methodist Church we were both part of at the time she made her decision to leave me. We all know that it was bad enough on me that she chose to divorce me after so long....but the thing that almost did me in was that she almost gleefully outted me to everyone who would listen -- couching it in a way to make it seem that she was somehow the victim....and just learned of it....and that I had made her life hell....blah....blah....blah... The only problem with any of that is that she had known for 24 of our 25 years....and that I had not made her life hell. In fact, if I were to review things, it was quite the opposite.

But all this is old stuff...not worth rehashing here. (If you're curious...you can go back and re-read some of those sad....forlorn......awful entries I wrote at the time which are still available for reading.)

What is worth writing now about is the fact that my daughter and I ran into two folks from that church last evening at the grocery store. Now, I have seen these two folks out and about in the neighborhood where I live on many occasions. I have always been pleasant and friendly.

Some background:

They are a married couple. She was also on staff at one time at our church. Her husband is some big muckity muck in the church...and I never really paid much attention to them. I respected them for their many contributions, but wasn't too close to them. Our paths just didn't cross very often. The church is humongous.

However, when the long term pastor departed several years ago and the new pastor arrived, they didn't get off on the right foot with him. He didn't do things the same way as the previous man had done them. He also didn't permit them to have the unbridled power they had too. He curtailed a few little things and they got mad.....sowed some discord along the way....and in a dramatic fit....left the church. I thought it was silly....and the respect I had for them began to dwindle.

Somehow, Lovey got very close to them....surprise surprise! Additionally, whenever they see one of my children, they fawn over them...and become syrupy sweet. It is all quite sickening to be quite honest.

But I try to keep a sweet spirit about me....am always pleasant to them.

They have gotten fairly established on Facebook. They are friends with Lovey and all the kids. So I decided to "friend" them just for fun....to see if they would respond. I've done this three times...and they always ignore my requests! In fact, I was at her graduation from Seminary by chance and took some pictures of her (she posed for them.) Through Facebook I have tried to get an address to send them electronically, but there is never a response.

So last night when I saw them from afar in the grocery store, I detoured around them so that I wouldn't have to deal with them. I wasn't in the mood. But I heard that familiar and syrupy....."Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......How are youuuuuuuuuuu......" as she zeroed in on my daughter.

ICK!

The longer I thought about it, the more I thought how silly it was for me to ignore them.

So I marched right up to them!

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.......hellooooooooooooooo.......Frankkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk!"...in that sweet and syrupy tone. I could have thrown up.

I smiled and greeted them both. They both came up and actually hugged me too! I fully expected Rod Serling to come from the peanut butter aisle. This truly was the Twilight Zone.

Following all the sickeningly sweet and phony pleasantries, I said, "Oh...I still have your graduation pictures.....you've never responded to my queries."

"Oh....I guess I am burnt out from all THAAAAATTTTTT...." she said. "I have totally blocked thaaaaaattttt from my memoryyyyyyyyy. I don't want themmmmmmmmmmmmm."

THWAAACK....

Okay, I thought. This means I can save some hard disc space.

They then focused all their attention on my daughter. I stood by politely...as they continued their conversation all in sweetness and light. But, shortly I had had enough. I had some other items to pick up.

I smiled and said, "Well, I need to pick up some other items. See ya!"


"OHHHHHHHHHHHHH......it was soooooooooooooo nice seeeing youuuuuuuuuuuuu." She said. "Keeeeeeeeeepppppppp in touchhhhhhhh."

When hell freezes over I thought.

I waved....and then left my daughter in their presence.

Phonieness really gets to me.