for the world outside. You weren't insulated or homogeneous. You weren't a one-note. My family was all Anglo. But they taught me a few things about being broad-minded. My father was horrified by the very thought of the "n-word," and reacted accordingly. He hired people he thought were good at their jobs, and quite a few of them weren't Anglo. Toward the end of his life, his closest and most trusted friends were Latinos - whose kids played with my kids and had great times! As I grew, the religious realm was where I found myself personally experiencing change and evolution and progress - feeling comfortable watching and being part of the change from single-note in school - Catholic school. I started in a 100% Catholic student body. There eventually was one girl who was Greek Orthodox. By the time my kids were in Catholic school, Catholics were not the biggest subgroup - they were a distinct minority. Only one third of our daughter's 2nd grade class made their First communion. Everybody else was of a different religion, and participated fully.
And it was a NEAT evolution to see! My mom used to talk about how she'd learned in Catholic school that all her non-Catholic friends were going to Limbo or some such place after they died because they weren't Catholic and thus couldn't be admitted into "Heaven." And she said she always felt terrible about that. By the time our kids were in Catholic school, NOBODY taught any such ridiculous thing anymore.
We evolve! YOU were born to it. Your story is literally an inspiration! Many of the rest of us came to it, or it came to us. Whichever the circumstances, it was all about open minds and acceptance, and live-and-let-live. Reminds me of Anita Bryant - who, during the 70s was a raging homophobe, and used her high-profile celebrity status as a singer/actress/entertainer, former Miss America contestant (back when the Miss America thing was still a big deal), and Florida Orange Juice pitchwoman as a platform to condemn gays and the gay lifestyle and advocate against it. She was a devout Christian extremist who became a symbol of intolerance and persecution to the gay community. Almost like a female rush limbaugh because she had such a large public platform and she didn't hesitate to use it. The knuckle-draggers of those times applauded her. But it also aroused enough indignation elsewhere among the public to start boycotts and protests and activism. She got knocked around by life pretty seriously, and it cost her dearly to be so strident. The bad press and publicity soon grew to overwhelming. Eventually it cost her that big Florida Orange Juice endorsement deal, bookings with Bob Hope's USO tours, and other major prime time variety shows and so forth, of the day, and her marriage went belly-up. And years later, it compelled a change of heart. The last thing I remember her quoted as saying, as she stumbled into a growing obscurity on the sidelines was how she'd finally come to realize it's far better, easier, and more sensible just "to live and let live."
We evolve. Well, many of us can, and many do.
And remember, NOBODY'S childhood, no matter how rich, insulated, comfortable, or purportedly stable and secure, is completely "perfect."
= new reply since forum marked as read
