Reply #19: I have experienced just the opposite

[aWaKeNoW]

from what you have with your family. I grew up in a military, Southern Baptist, republican family. As a child I just thought that the things my parents were teaching me were the "right" things to believe and do in life until I hit my twenties and slowly "woke up" to see what was really going on in the world. I was simply amazed when I started thinking about things differently than the way I had been taught. It was a freeing experience, and it blew my mind that the things my parents taught me really didn't make ANY sense, and how all of the things they hated and fought against are what I truly believe in now. There is such tension between me and my family now...I do feel like the black sheep of the family and dred get togethers. Even my own mother lashed out at me several times during this presidential election race when I would state my views against Bush by saying "I didn't raise you that way!" One time I got so sick of her saying that I yelled back "I am GLAD that broke out of your brainwashing MOM! Thank God I am my own person!" She didn't take to kindly to that..we didn't speak for months. Which I guess was a good thing because I didn't have to hear about how GREAT George W. was during those three months during the campaigning. I know that my family thinks I have "lost" my mind...but I feel like I have found it and I am so glad I "broke" out of that mind set. I feel like a new person.

Growing up in the Baptist church I have seen from the inside how they try to "convert" people one person at a time. I mean if we even missed a Sunday they would have members call our house just to find out why we missed and to make sure that everything was "ok". It was hard for my husband and I during this past year to keep things as "civil" as possible with both sides of our family. His side tried SEVERAL times to get us to be involved in events with the Christian Coalition they were attending, while my side was ranting about all of the good things that Bush has done with our country and how great the war is going. And if I had to hear this one more time, "It's better that we keep the fighting OVER THERE than here in this country!", I seriously felt like I was going to slap the family member that said it.

I admire your parents for raising you the way they did. I doubt if you will ever be able to change their minds back from how they see things now, but just remember all of the things that shaped you into being the thoughtful, loving, caring and involved person in our society. I feel that people like you are what this world desperately needs more of and I am happy to say I am becoming more like that everyday. :)