I gotta be careful

I know how easily I am drawn up into disputes and controversy.  Don't want to go that with this time.

Parents in Lake County are very political and very outspoken, I am told and I know, from experience elsewhere, that school administration is easily intimidated by such.

There's been a lot of pushback against the discipline code (revised) at Clermont middle, mostly concerning the dress code and the detention for not having student IDs.  The district has told us to stop issuing detentions for not having IDs. There's also been some loosening of the dress code, recently.

Apparently, discipline has been an issue this past year or so. Not good.

I've seen it all before.

I am determined to make this work.  That's bottom line. I need to, for more than just financial reasons. I've come back home to the faith of my birth. Probably am completely through with St. Paul's, in Greensboro and will not darken the door there again.

Unfortunate. I was a member there for decades.Knew a lot of people and was very involved there. Can't do that anymore.  The place is a hostile environment to me thanks to Pope Urban VI and the knights.  That too, is sad.  Used to be that the K of C was one of the only things holding me to th Catholic faith.  It became something that drove me away.

Blessed Sacrament is a very different place from all that.  It is very welcoming and the pastoral staff there does not reside in the 14th century.  Neither do they back away from addressing current issues, like bigotry and social justice.  No more ranting about abortion or "liberals."  No more telling us to "vote correctly." what a blessing. No pun intended.

I no longer find myself looking in the rear view mirror or glancing over to my neighbors to see if trouble is heading my way. Don't need to worry about my mailbox being knocked down or my tire stems cut. None of that.

I've no roach problem...yet although I have dispatched the few I have seen.  My bathroom floors are stable and when it rains (which it does every day) I don't find myself wondering if the ceiling will cave in.

Yes, I will have to deal with those problems when I return but it's a decided relief to not have them looking me in the face every day and night.

People are, for the most part, quite friendly here.  Already met three residents who hail from the Tar Heel state.  No one comes up into my yard and taunts me.  My vehicle has not been slimed.

Traffic in Clermont is heavy, at times and stores more crowded.  That will take some getting used to. But I no longer drive past St. Pius X or the Greensboro Science center and am reminded of the trauma I endured there.

In essence, I feel like my time here in Central Florida has been therapeutic,  and healing for me. It's been something I have needed for some years.  I see that now.

It's even been helpful to be away from the NC mountains.  Never thought I would ever say that. I associate them with my connection with the Griffins. Mike pressured me into the white water kayaking thing.  A major manipulator, that one.  I did right in moving away.

How is it that I so often learn my lessons in retrospect?

This afternoon, as I left Blessed Sacrament, I met up with the local K of C; am going to give them another try.  Am thinking it was just the social dynamic of the one in Greensboro. Too many right wing radicals. Perhaps it will be different here.