So, I've noticed some subtle changes on the Facebook page of a High School acquaintance who pops up from time to time (FB's algorithms obviously know we travel in the same circles of people, and he's frequently suggested as a "friend" (he also posts periodically in the same HS alumni group, and the same community group).

We lived in a small military community overseas in the 70's, so everyone knew everyone. I lived there a year before he did, and I remember the whole family's arrival, and my intense dislike of the whole clan, and it revolved around their "we're speshul" attitude, and TBMness, that manifest itself everywhere. This guy, and his siblings, were in every club, both on and off campus, and their parents were everywhere, involved in everything, and, of course, anywhere the parents got any sort of influence (coaching, chaperoning, etc), then their kids were propped up over everyone else (because they're "speshul").

Here are a couple egregious examples of the above.

In the first example, somehow he became the first string quarterback of the HS football team. Both the previous first string QB (who was relegated to 2nd string), and the former 2nd string (who was relegated to JV) were better QB's, and then the word got out that he'd never even been a QB before! And, not only that, but he hadn't even PLAYED football in the previous two seasons. In spite of his poor performance, he remained 1st string QB the whole season, but didn't even return to play the next.

In the second example, the American community had a pretty large ski club for teens, and it had a ski patrol. To be on the ski patrol, you had a to have taken a very comprehensive first aid course (it took the place of P.E. twice a week for a full school year), AND demonstrate a high level of skiing proficiency. This guy was appointed to the ski patrol immediately, even though he had never skied before (and was even taking lessons on the first trip), because he was "working on" a first aid merit badge in scouting, and "very athletic" and would "take to skiing easily." As it turned out, he broke his leg on the 2nd trip, and never went again.

Anyway, you get the point. Everywhere this family went, other deserving and hard working kids were pushed out of the way for this guy (and his younger siblings).

So, fast forward many years... He pops on FB periodically. A few times I've clicked links and explored a little bit. His mom is always posting the same sort of TBM crap I see in my own family members.

Today, he popped up again, but I noticed a couple of subtle changes. The thing that got my attention is that his hair is now fairly long and shaggy! It's always been "regulation," but now it's jaw-line length all the way around his head, sort of "hipsterish." And he always had the "LDS" thing clicked for spiritual beliefs, and now it's not!

Anyway, the above has me wondering if his shelf is starting to fall. But I poked around a bit and noticed that his favorite book is still the BoM, and two favorite movies listed are "Meet The Mormons," and some other movie with an African America guy, but drill down shows it's a Mormon movie too.

I'm just wondering if there's hope for the guy after all these years...

Wait for the man bun.

I say they deserve capital punishment.

The man bun is a fashion crime.

Jesus will return with a man bun and a Hawaiian shirt.

I just flew a trip with a pilot who had a big, bushy, hipster beard and a man bun. It bugged the crap out of me.

Could NOT have been in the US.... jealous :-D

I'm rooting for you and the rest of the world, because we need one less narcissist among us. As well as one less proselyting Mormon.

Some Mormons fancy themselves as rebels with beards and long hair but still are TBM. He could also be a NOM too scared to out himself but feeling hypocritical. Even my totally inactive sister, who now attends a Methodist church, lists the BofM as her favorite book. I have no idea if she still believes in Mormonism or just wants to hold onto her Mormon friends. She gave me a Bible, that wasn't a King James version, as a gift and told me how much more she enjoyed reading it than her Mormon bible.

Can you respond to his FB comments without anyone else seeing your question, "Do you still believe JS was a prophet and Russ Nelson is a modern day prophet?"?