Troublemaker

One of the reasons that moving to Philly was hard for me was that the church that Jeff and I attend is pretty different from my church back home. And it's not just the style of the church that's different. The people are different. When I came here, it was hard for me to really believe that the people were going to accept me.

Honestly, I still don't know.

But that fear has actually made it hard for me to make friends, because I have been reserved and quiet. But you know what? That ain't me. And I want to be done with that.

So this is where I start. Here is where I will say who I am, without being coy or evasive.

-I recycle. But really, only because it is convenient.
-I use Round Up in the back yard on the weeds (including poison ivy, so I'm not even sorry.)
-I am a registered Republican. (I might be the only one you know!)
-I voted for George W. Bush in 2004.
-I voted for Barak Obama in 2008. (I wanted to vote Republican, really I did. But they just made it too freaking hard. First of all, who was that angry, desperate person who claimed to be John McCain? He ran a terrible campaign, at least here in PA. And Sarah Palin... she just ain't ready for the big league.)
-I don't use biodegradable tampons. I use the ones with the plastic applicator.
-I use 7th generation laundry detergent and dish washing detergent.
-I use method floor cleaner and an omop.
-I don't want to buy my clothes from a thrift shop. I want to buy them new from the mall or Target or something.
-I like to buy lattes from Starbucks.
-I don't think Wal-Mart is the devil.
-I would probably get more of my furniture from garage sales if only I didn't have to get up early to find the good deals.
-I am not a pacifist.
-I like to wear makeup and get manis/pedis.
-I like country music.
-I am not a vegetarian.
-My favorite color is purple. (I know that doesn't really have anything to do with this, but I really do like purple.)
-I want to live in the suburbs, with a garage and a yard bigger than my living room.
-I take public transportation.
-I believe that just because someone isn't black, poor, about to have a baby, about to lose a baby, or dying of cancer doesn't mean that they don't still hurt or that they don't need someone to love them. Why am I on no one's radar?
-I like games, but I am not a gamer. (My husband married "outside the tribe.")
-I like exegesis.
-I haven't yet decided what I think about women leading churches. There is a part of me that is offended by the notion that women shouldn't lead churches, but in the search for truth I must at least be willing to accept it as a possibility.
-I believe the man is the head of the household, and women do a disservice to their husbands, their children, and themselves when they usurp that authority.
-I live in a two-car family.

What do you say, folks? Where is this community I hear so much about? I know, I know, I'm being antagonistic, and that hardly encourages new friends to flock my direction. But what do I have to lose? Keeping my mouth shut hasn't done me a lot of good.