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A little about me.....

Durty

Shared on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 13:56

Just now in clan chat someone was talking about 16 Candles and Pretty in Pink....and I was lost. I have never seen either of those movies...not to mention many others. And anytime anyone makes reference to movies, cartoons, and music from the 70's, 80's and early 90's I generally have no clue what they are talking about. Then they look at me like I'm stupid. It isn't any fun :( So now you all get an explanation....

After coming to Missouri from New York when I was 4, my mother and my grandmother both got 'saved'...we went from being pagans to Christians in a day...it was weird. I lived with my grandmother, my mother and my sister for a long time...until my mother remarried.

Coming from the backgrounds that my family had, they took the Christian thing a little too far. We weren't allowed to watch most cartoons and movies, and anything other than Christian music was out of the question. My Little Pony was bad because it had magic in it, as well as the Care Bears, HeMan...I couldn't watch Sleeping Beauty because of the witch, for the most part I couldn't watch anything other than Christian programming most of the time, if I was even given the option of TV. The music I listened to growing up was mostly Amy Grant, Ray Boltz, Micahel W. Smith, and Carman...that was pretty much it...and at some point I wasn't allowed to listed to Amy Grant anymore because of her being promoted or something by alcoholic beverage compaines. It really wasn't much fun going to school with my little walkman and having the other kids want to listen to it...then not knowing who in the hell was singing on my tapes because they weren't cool, lol.

I wasn't allowed to celebrate Halloween because it was the 'Devil's Day'...I couldn't do Easter egg hunts because the Easter bunny didn't get raised from the dead like Jesus. I couldn't wear jeans or shorts for the longest time because that wasn't biblical for females, couldn't go swimming in the lake becase that was like taking a bath with Satan, couldn't leave our yard because Satanists would kidnap us because we had blond hair...good gawd, I could go on forever.

After my mother married my (step) father things were a bit better, we were able to watch some cartoons...Animaniacs, Looney Tunes...stuff like that, but movies and music were pretty much still restricted. I remember when my sister was 10 or so, she had joined a line dancing group...country music of course, and she was practicing for their little talent show or some shit...it was a Sunday and she got belted because she was listening to non Christian music on a Sunday. She had to quit the group as punishment also...kinda sucked..she really liked it.

I was allowed to read though...and I read a lot...I still read a lot. I did get in trouble for researching about other religions and witchcraft and stuff...but I told them I was wanting to learn so I could witness to people who had other religions...how can you bring people to your religion if you don't know anything about theirs, was my argument, lol. Most all of my free time was spent reading...but reading as much as I did made me pretty smart...which is never a bad thing, I don't think.

Eventually I became a teenager, the worst of the worst according to my teachers....I was rebelious, suicidal, crazy and depressed..'Emo' before it was 'cool'...but that's another story for another time, lol. This is turning into a really long story....sorry about that. I know how you guys hate to read, lol. So, to make this a bit shorter.....I finally am just now (past 10 yars or so) starting to get caught up on all the stuff I missed for the first two-thirds of my life. I pretty much suck though when it comes to any trivia from that time, lol. I watched my first episode of PopEye last week as well as the movie from 1980. I learned all about Star Wars when I met Sicrik....and he is teaching me about music from my childhood as well, lol. I would really like to know who framed Roger Rabbit though...still haven't seen that.

Disclaimer:
I'm in no way saying that my mother was mean or abusive, or that I ended up worse or whatever because of how I was raised...but here I am and that's how I started out, lol.

I'm done typing now...I need to do the dishes

Comments

Flywalker's picture
Submitted by Flywalker on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 15:11
I live in the bible belt or as i like to call it hypocrite alley, because for 6 hours a week they are holier than thou and the other 6.5 days they will screw you or anyone else who will give them a chance. I know a lot of people who were treated like you growing up and now they are crazy wild.
Durty's picture
Submitted by Durty on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 15:24
Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read my blog today :) I really appreciate all the feedback. It never is easy to share the crap some of us grew up with...but we could have had it worse. My parents may have been really strict, I may have hated every day of my life up until a few years ago...but they loved me, took me a long time to see it, but I know it now. Raiz3r, I don't follow any religion really....I do believe in God, but not the God my parents taught me about when I was a kid. I don't push anything on my kids, I give them information and let them make their own decisions. They do go to a Christian church with their father, but that isn't a bad thing. I tell them how I feel about stuff, give them guidance on moral issues...but in the end what they choose to believe is their choice. I don't want them to ever feel the way that I did, that I didn't have a choice, I was told what to believe and expected to do so. I won't do that to them.
Flying_Saffa's picture
Submitted by Flying_Saffa on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 16:01
I kind of relate to your story Durty. Broughtup in a Catholic family and forced to church every Sunday. Didn't quite feel comfortable with that though, especially telling the priest my sins in the confessional. I then became a reborn christian when I was about 22 and went through the "mental" phase. Everything was evil, people were misguided etc etc. Would tell everyone about Christ that I could. Lost a lot of friends because of it. It's a good foundation and it's good for my kids too, but I would never force it upon them like i had it. Now I just try an be a good example to them so they grow up wanting to be like me. Great write up though. Kudos to you. PS: Off the topic, LOVE the panty pics. My wife does too....
Gatsu's picture
Submitted by Gatsu on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 22:43
I grew up in a pretty similar environement....till my mom finally got a slap upside the head from a youth leader who told her to "lighten up". and that "you can find demons in anything if you go looking for them". Thankfully she understood that and life got more fun & interesting. And not everything was about the devil. lol
cookieklr's picture
Submitted by cookieklr on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 07:50
Yep, almost identitical childhoods, only my mom was like that before I was born. Fortunately, my dad helped offset it some. He was a down to earth cop, so I did get some relief growing up. But the skirts and culots (sp?), christian music, he-man, Halloween....yep, I know exactly what you mean. lol
Science's picture
Submitted by Science on Thu, 04/03/2008 - 15:15
Thanks for sharing Durty. I didn't grow up in a religious home, but I did have some spiritual experiences in college that changed how I believe. I think that there was a big trend toward being super strict about a lot of that stuff in Christian culture in the 80's. It seems like(and I'm sure there are plenty of people who are still super strict about things) people have lightened up a bit. Even though I would say that I follow Jesus and even worked in ministry for a few years, I still dislike Christian culture. I feel like being 'weird' turns people off to a good message. Thanks again for for being open. I think that must have taken a certain amount of courage for you to put on the webernets.
wilderz's picture
Submitted by wilderz on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 14:16
My wife's mom was like that too. When my wife was a teenager her mother caught her listening to Footloose by Kenny Loggins, and she smashed the tape with a hammer. However, she has loosened up quite a bit now. You have a lot of history to catch up on.. the 80's were the bomb!
KingDrewsky's picture
Submitted by KingDrewsky on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 14:20
Well ... that and you are a little young for the Molly Ringwald / Anthony Michael Hall era.
BrodysDad46's picture
Submitted by BrodysDad46 on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 14:30
My sister went through a period when she was like that (she lives in the same region as you). I still make fun of her for deciding that Pokeman was the devil when my niece was at the Pokeman age.
Raiz3R's picture
Submitted by Raiz3R on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 14:41
Great Write up. I would love to hear about your Teenage Years. And as for Religion are you still with it or what ? And do you Raise your children with it ? Just curious.... Although I don't practice Religion myself what so ever. It amazes me the impact it has on Individuals Lives such as yours and the effects of the outcome. Now granted this is strictly opinion. But I just have a hard time believing in somthing that is man made. And theres a ton of em... (Religions) Who's to say that there Religion is the Right one.
Jmarps's picture
Submitted by Jmarps on Wed, 04/02/2008 - 14:57
Well done...not always easy to share that kind of stuff. You write well...it's obvious all of that reading has paid off. So, it's all grist for the mill and how you became you. And just think, all of that stuff that is old hat for us, is totally new for you....that's cool!

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