church employee: “We couldn’t find your phone number, so we looked up your name on the computer.”
Doug: blink blink

We came home and googled our names. No, we blingo-ed, but that doesn’t matter. There we are. Good, bad and otherwise. We are a family who loves each other fiercely. We love people and we love life. We defend our beliefs, but not by viciously attacking those who disagree with us. Life is not black and white. It is a technicolor, psychedelic, multi-dimensional, full speed, one way journey. For years,I tried very hard to encourage the Rocky Top Brigade to have face to face gatherings. Newscoma understand why. In the past year, people started getting together. And just as quickly as it started, the gatherings divided into two groups. The past week has been nothing but attacks on both sides. Even people who seemed rational, threw out insults and later claimed to be joking. Mean is never funny. Middle TN and small town TN bloggers all get together and agree to disagree. They know that everyone has the right to have their own beliefs and live their own lives. Why can’t East TN bloggers do the same? My extended family is from very rural, very small towns in TN. They love and care about each other and their neighbors. They look out for each other in during beginnings, endings, good times and bad. If you take the time to get to know someone in TN, you quickly realize everyone in TN is connected through friends and family. No good can come of this animosity. I have a strong but tender heart and right now, I feel sad. Tonight was wonderful. Friends and strangers laughed and shared. East TN bloggers should be able to gather and share that same sense of community.