empath

Welcome! We’re glad you’re here!

Another accurate observation… ❤️ Weakness, loneliness, fragility are common threads tying characters and plot lines loosely together.

@Anton_Cloche, thanks for that wonderful epilogue and transition back to the long neglected Face Value. 😜 I’ve been reading more than writing lately… but I will get back to it!

This is an awful truth. Epstein is a very real example, and while he is gone, I’m certain someone else is filling the perverse void he left. The devastation to the trafficked and abused is horrendous and lasting. Thanks for reading and engaging @SilentandBroken. ❤️

@Summerabbacat, Socialism and Communism are intertwined for many American’s. We have been conditioned to hate Communism (it has come up in some of my other stories and is not exaggerated. New York City just elected a Socialist Mayor and the news headlines and fear-mongering have been unreal from the right and the left. “America” means a lot of things, depending on who you ask, but loving God, hating Communists, and guns are definitely pillars of the American Identity for many. The guns, maybe because our independence was won by citizens and private arms, have always been a protected right (the second amendment of our constitution). Freedom and the ability to stay free (for those who have historically enjoyed freedom - i.e., cis, white, male, land owners), is at the core of the American Dream. I don't think I can explain guns beyond that. It tends to be a very hot topic for the right, so I am conflicted. Like many things, I am redefining how I think and feel about it. I don't own one, but I’m not opposed (in theory). I fully support more stringent gun legislation, however, while many Americans don’t. I was miles away (at work) from a mass school shooting in South Minneapolis this summer. It’s awful, and likely an empath worthy topic for a story one day.

Touché @pvtguy… You're a saint for putting up with me and sticking by me! Love you, dude!

Thanks for the kind words @drsawzall! You are always such an encouragement!

Thank you @Cane23! And yes, the moms received a wake up call as well. I love the way you described the ending! ❤️

You are right @Jjeffalch. And somehow many of these Hosea-likes have been put into positions power with no oversight or accountability. Christian Nationalism is one of the reasons I wrote this. Friends have asked how Christians can support the current administration in the US…. This is how. It’s crazy, but it’s real. Ten months ago I couldn’t have written this story. I’ve had to wrestle with many things I’ve simply buried in the process of coming out and abolishing the Sinner and the Saint. I’ve had to ask and re-learn even though I’d rather just move on and try to forget. Fortunately, I’ve found people like Marcus and Joshua, who care and can relate. And that’s life changing. My hope is that this story finds someone who needs it, either to understand themselves, their child, or the world without the blinders or shackles of a skewed, dogmatic faith.

Great reflections and insights @mayday! Religious leaders have always tried to control the narrative. The Catholic church used to lead services in Latin (through the mid 1960’s) even though nobody beyond the clergy understood Latin. Bibles have been edited and curated, verses and themes cherry picked or suppressed, and interpretations & translations biased by cultural [mis]understanding. The sermon is perhaps the most damaging habit of religion as people simply absorb without the need to fact check or reflect. That’s a whole other topic though!

Yes, the Portland Frog has been a beacon of hope. As were the latest election results. Lot’s of triggers this year for a guy just now climbing out of half a life time of Conservative garbage… It will be fine. I'm just trying to figure out how to live authentically and loudly in the world after spending so long hiding from it. A journey for many of us, but not one we have to tackle alone. ❤️

The author’s Republican-induced anxiety and depression has been getting in the way, but Small Fry is working on rescuing him as well. Face Value will not be forgotten or abandoned.

I agree with everything you said, but oh, how I wish you and your perspective had been a part of my life sooner. This had me smiling, @Summerabbacat! It is hard to remember that I grew up in a limited worldview that isn't held so rabidly by much of the human race. The focus on Sodomy and Sodomites is very real, but I love your Freudian diagnosis so much - and I don't think you are far off in many, many cases. Ironically, Jewish scholars have a very different understanding of “the sins of Sodom” than the conservative Christians. See this article if interested, but here’s the TL;DR: Funny, huh? All the people running around yelling about “Sodomy" while also hating “Liberals” who want healthcare, food, human rights, and equal justice for all. In Jewish terms (and anyone who honestly reads the story in Genesis 19), homosexuality isn’t what led to their destruction. It was a severe lack of the very humanistic priorities the conservatives are ignoring or in some cases, actively fighting against.

Sad, not because I can’t relate, but because we, as a species, so often earn such distrust and ire. There are, at least in my experience and view, shining examples of human good even if they are incomplete or inconsistent. As suggested, Total Depravity is no longer a part of worldview. ❤️

5:51 pm “Well said, babe!” Joshua entered the small, crowded living room with Marcus’ mother on his arm. “Mom and I are going to plate up some food for everyone. We need to know who would like salad and if we are going to eat out here or crowd around the table.” “Mom?” Marcus’ profanity was all but forgotten as Julian asked the question that was also on the tip of Marcus’ tongue. “This young man is marrying my son, so yes Julian, I am also mom to Joshua.” The evening, especi