So...

My personal life in print.

Two weeks ago I had an unfortunate encounter with one of my two work colleagues that are American flag, card carrying Qanoners. They're two Christian zealots, of course.

During a benign conversation regarding death, when I didn't say thoughts and prayers, she had the nerve to invoke my son's afterlife.

I ignored the first slight but #2 went as follows:

"Where's Tony? If he's not in heaven waiting for you, he's in Hell."

A moment of composure was needed, or I would've made her cry.

Instead, I calmly stated, "He's dead." "At the moment, he's in my front room in an urn."

She dared to open her mouth. Let's just say, it didn't end well.

I had to do it. I quoted scripture. And brought it to her attention she's likely not one of the 144,000 lucky enough to get in, so maybe she should think about landing in my front room in an urn. I know. Yikes.

I said nothing to anyone else, but you know those types, they can't help themselves. She blathered on to a couple others about my poor son and his fate.

I got unexpected help from the most unusual source. The one Johovah Witness leaped into the situation. She went all ways including sideways on that poor woman. That 144,000, I'm certain, shall be JWs. Her rebuke of that nonsense was impressive. Eloquent, actually. Simply for her willingness to step in, left me silent in thought.

I took PTO for 4 days and avoided the scenario. To say it didn't sting would be a lie. You can take the girl out of the Church, but somewhere deep inside, the fear may still remain. I had a stomach ache for days. 1.) You don't know my child; and 2.) you don't know me. 3.) That's plain bullshit.

It's a new week and it's rumored this has been an ongoing problem for the company. I want left out of the discussion, because ultimately, I'm in the Midwest and a definite outlier. But there's one JW that got flowers from me Monday, anonymously...but she knew from who.

It's been eye opening, however. For a minute, I was worried he might be somewhere awful. That passed but my stuptification remains.

Religion. #smh The cruelty that goes along with it still upsets me.

I dunno. I didn't think something could invoke that nonsensical fear into me again, until it did. It passed quickly, but the mere fact I actually spent one moment on it, has proven an odd side effect of leaving religion. Even 30 years ago.