Posted by:
Not usually this negative,
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Date: December 05, 2021 07:19PM
Oh-kaaay--now I know why my daughter's TBM family had all their lights turned off, last night, and were huddled in front of the basement TV with two pizzas! I went to drop off a package for them, and asked them why everything was so dark--was there something wrong with their Christmas lights? They didn't say anything, and just changed the subject....
They have never attended the ward parties. Daughter's TBM ward clerk husband doesn't like them. She tried taking the children to one Christmas party without her husband, and they didn't even stay for the food. because ther was no place for them to sit. LOL!
Since the onset of the pandemic, I feel like I've regressed to those old days of being shunned by all my Mormon neighbors, and most of my Mormon friends and family. It took several years to regain my equillibrium, and realize that those Mormon "friendships" were gone forever.
I had always been an extrovert all through childhood, teens, college, marriage, motherhood, etc--UNTIL I got divorced by my abusive husband, and was judged and marginalized by the Mormons and their mysogynist beliefs.
I became an introvert when I quietly resigned, and it was a relief to me to spend more time with my family, and enjoy my career and colleagues. Eventually, thanks to family members and friends who also quit Mormonism, and new non-Mormon friends,I bounced back to my usual extrovert self. The Mormon definition of The World being "Lone and Dreary", wicked, and lacking in love turned out to be FALSE. My children and I are happy and successful, honest, loving We've had a lot of fun!
Lately, the Covid isolation is causing major flashbacks to the Mormon shunning. We still live in Utah. I feel guilty for being careful, for distancing, for saying "No" to most parties. Some Utahns I know say the pandemic is a downright lie. I refuse to feel bad about protecting myself and my family. I cry when people die. I want those hospital spaces free to be used for people who need surgeries and decent medical care.
Too many of our Utah Mormon neighbors are now having large spreader parties, and they actually are getting sick with Covid. They say the symptoms are "mild" and they can go about their work and shopping as usual! Continuing the spread! They don't believe in masks or quarantines. The anti vaxers were tested only because their job places demanded it, and the school parents put pressure on them to have their kids tested and quarantined. The parents & teachers did this--not the Utah schools. Two of my fully-vaccinated older friends are in the hospital right now, with "breakthrough" cases. Four younger adults friends are OK, and recovering from with their breakthrough illnesses, This is happening right now--yesterday!
Meanwhile, our ward is still having all the usual meetings, with no masks, no distancing, no professional cleaning, and no vaccine for tiny ones. Only one familly wears masks in our ward--and that's my family, who's uncles and grandfather are doctors. We won't go into how the hospitals, doctors, nurses, etc. are effected by the pandemic right now. My grandchildren wear their mask willingly, but they feel uncomfortable and out-of place. They never liked church, anyway.
We have had to to judge and discriminate who is protecting and who is not, and today we have to judge who is vaccinated and who is not--and who is lying about it. I'm mostly concerned about protecting those who are too young. As for me, if I get sick, I can't be around them. If I die of a disease, they will feel guilty, thinking they exposed me to the disease. Nothing is worth that--no party, trip, restaurant meal, concert, amusement park is worth that. Let alone someone being permanently crippled or being sick long-term.
People took the polio vacciene, didn't they? That was also real: I have a cousin and also a close friend who were crippled for life by polio.
So, I wear a mask out in public, still, and probably will, for the rest of my life. My family I see the most, and my best friends are all vaccinated, and we haven't worn masks in our homes--but we are constantly re-evaluating wearing masks with guests. We will have to re-evaluate again after Christmas, and re-re-evaluate again, with each new booster, depending on the latest African strain, which they named: *^!!x#.
Rename the virus strains! Rename the vaccines! Rename the Mormon church! That will change things. It's every man for himself (and their family), relying on knowledge and experience.
Not my doing--but two (normal,non-Mormon) Christmas parties have been cancelled, in the last few days. One party should have been last night, but someone got sick and tested positive for Covid, so all exposed have to be responsible and quarantine for how-long-is-it-now? 10 days, or whatever.
The other party was an extended family Christmas party,for adults, and everyone has been innoculated--except for one cousin who is anti-vax, and won't allow any of his children and grandchildren to get vaxed, either. He also refuses to get anyone tested. He's a stake president, and so self-important that he is giving the rest of the family a hard time about trying to keep him and his adult kids away. Since this sector of my family is half ex-Mormon now, SP is accusing the ex-Mormons of trying to split the family apart from the Mormons! Whew! It is simpler to just not have any party at all.
Lately,the weather has been nice enough for us to be outside, and I've had a few smaller parties on our patio. My sons' patios have padded furniture, firepits, space heaters, big-screen TV, and we watch the games together. We will continue to talk with acquaintances on the phone, text, e-mail, Facetime, arrange Zoom meetings, whatever, and to work from home as much as possible. Fortunately, our offices are well-cleaned, and have company mask and distancing mandates. The businesses are not Utah-owned, and two are privately-owned.
Food is for life, and restraunts and take-outs don't serve the healthiest food anayway--plus it's expensive. My family and I are learning to be better cooks. I've already traveled extensively, and so have my sons and daughters-in-law. All my grandchildren are going to Disneyland (so far)in January, which is probably safer than going to a poorly-ventilated, unsanitized church with unvaccinated, unmasked, un-distanced people. I hope in the future that transportation and lodging will be safe enough for my grandchildren to travel. freely, as I did. We must have faith that human beings will solve problems, and cooperate to make life better, locally and globally.
Otherwise--the Mormons might be right: "Lone and Dreary."