Today's post is from a friend who wishes to remain anonymous. Content note: marital rape Nostalgia is defined as a sentimental longing or wistful affection for the past, typically for a period or place with happy personal associations. The memories of childhood often evoke feelings of longing for a time when happiness abounded. For … Continue reading Outside the Box: I wish I didn’t know
Tag: authoritarian parenting
The sun is shining over the flowers my grandfather planted. They're still growing, long after he died in 1995. One of my goals for 2016 is to write a new spoken word poem every month. Here’s February’s poem. We can breathe again, out here in the open.Drink in lemonade sunlightbecause each one of us has … Continue reading Poem: Outside
Growing up homeschooled means you get a lot more time with your siblings than other kids. As an older sibling, it also means you have much more responsibility for them. My parents told me I didn't need friends, I had my siblings. They also told me I was the example for them, the prototype. This … Continue reading I can’t save my siblings
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fQ0JSImpzM Three years ago yesterday, I left my parents' house. They'd delivered an ultimatum: transfer from UCCS to Bob Jones University or move out. I chose freedom. Last year, a boyfriend told me, "That's one thing I love about you. You're incredibly American, in the most fundamental way. You'd rather be free than comfortable." Which … Continue reading Three year anniversary: #WhyILeft Fundamentalism
In my last post, I talked about why I don't trust authority. Many people like me who were raised in controlling environments tend to not get along with authority outside that context, breeding difficulties in maintaining employment and interacting within society. But the older generations often discount why we'd react this way. "You're just a … Continue reading We’re not just ‘rebels.’ What fundamentalist Christianity demands is unreasonable.