homeschoolmom Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 (edited) I think I am suffering a bad case of culture fatigue... Everyone knows about culture shock... You go somewhere and go, "Hokey smokes, what are they doing?"... but eventually, you get used to it. Culture fatigue comes later... after you figure out how and why everything is done, but you still tire from doing it that way... You get tired of thinking in the native language, going to soup suppers instead of pot lucks, realizing that everyone is still a stranger instead of running into a friend at every event... and you miss all of your loved-ones back home... and you still don't have any new loved ones yet. Okay, I'm rambling... Don't take this the wrong way, but I fell like I've had the spiritual stomache flu for months... I really long for the "dry toast and weak tea" and the comforts of the familiar... Another thing bugging me... We have to pick Godparents for our sons... How can we ask people we barely know to make such a committment? And reject people whom we've known for years, who have been great spiritual influences in our lives and in our kids' lives... I UNDERSTAND why... please don't take me to task here... This just bites... Thanks for letting me rant... Edited April 21, 2004 by homeschoolmom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ilovechrist Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 for the Godparent topic... pray about it HARD... i was quite surprised when i was asked to be my sister's Godfather, for there are many people that i think could do just as good a job as me, maybe even better--and yet my parents asked me. it's a hard choice... as for culture... i remember when we moved down here to NC---i HATED it with a passion.. but prayer will get you through marvelous things, and it got me through, and now i love this place just as much as back up in ohio (well... almost). peace Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted April 21, 2004 Author Share Posted April 21, 2004 [quote name='ilovechrist' date='Apr 21 2004, 09:41 AM'] for the Godparent topic... pray about it HARD... i was quite surprised when i was asked to be my sister's Godfather, for there are many people that i think could do just as good a job as me, maybe even better--and yet my parents asked me. it's a hard choice... [/quote] It's not even like we have any choices... Literally NO ONE in our families is Catholic... so that leaves our friends... Having just left our church, we leave all of our friends, too. Our sponsors for RCIA were the teacher and his wife (who were very nice, but we don't know them very well.)... I don't want to ask them because, well, we don't really know them. and I can't ask them to make a life long commitment to the spiritual upbringing of our kids... we don't have that connection. It's the same with any Catholics we know. We only know them a little bit... enough to smile at after mass. We just don't have any Catholic friends... NOT to say, I am not trying. I am. I would dive in to social events, bible studies... ANYTHING to get to know people... but it just isn't a good way to scout out godparents... ... on the other hand... I have many good Christian friends who are already "godparents" for my children... Our families camp together, homeschool together, eat out together, pray together... and we used to attend church together... they have had a great influence in my kids' lives. But they can't be godparents because they aren't Catholic. So, it's not a matter of who to choose... there are no good options... that's all... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marielapin Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 I know the feeling, homeschoolmom. We don't have a whole lot of Catholic friends (only a very few that I don't see that often) and the ones I do see often I'm not going to make my son's godparents - they don't really know their faith. My husbands family is all Catholic so they are all going to come from his side. I know they will be good godparents but I feel bad since I can't pick anyone from my family. I wish they would just become Catholic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PedroX Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 homeschool, The culture fatigue takes a long time. I still don't understand why my parish isn't more fellowship oriented, and why, though people are very nice, it takes so long to get to know people. Add to that the many "cradle catholics" who pat me on the head because I'm a zealous convert and it adds up to an emotional strain. Just keep plugging away. It will come, and when it does it will be every bit as good (if not better) than it was before. Of course, many of your problems may stem from the fact that you live on the "wrong" side of the Mississippi. peace... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted April 21, 2004 Author Share Posted April 21, 2004 [quote name='PedroX' date='Apr 21 2004, 11:00 AM'] Of course, many of your problems may stem from the fact that you live on the "wrong" side of the Mississippi. peace... [/quote] thanks... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prov31girl Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 Awwww...now that wasn't cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homestarlover85 Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 where are you homesm? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted April 21, 2004 Author Share Posted April 21, 2004 (edited) Oh, PedroX likes to kid me about that... Not sure why... I pretty much live ON the Mississippi... I can be on the eastern side in about twenty minutes... I meant thanks for the post (I am not excited to hear that the fatigue takes a long time to recover from), but I am thankful for the friendly jab about the Mississippi (not sure why this is important to PedroX, but I guess it is... I think it's a fear of the mountains or something...) I needed a friendly pat on the head... I'm having a misserable day... Edited April 21, 2004 by homeschoolmom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted April 21, 2004 Author Share Posted April 21, 2004 [quote name='Homestarlover85' date='Apr 21 2004, 11:07 AM'] where are you homesm? [/quote] In Minnesota... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willguy Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 [quote name='PedroX' date='Apr 21 2004, 12:00 PM'] Of course, many of your problems may stem from the fact that you live on the "wrong" side of the Mississippi. [/quote] You betta hope I don't figure out where you're at, cause when I do I'ma show you how we do it on the west side. :ph34r: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Theoketos Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 Maybe you should re-read the song of St. Francis "Make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy. O heavenly Father, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood, as to understand; to be loved, as to love; for it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life." ~ Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
homeschoolmom Posted April 21, 2004 Author Share Posted April 21, 2004 Thanks, Theoketos. That was very helpful. I hope you all don't think I'm a whiney crybaby. I'm not really. I am glad to have this phorum to spill my guts out without too much damage being done. When Teresa mentioned yesterday how happy my posts always sound, I was really shocked. I fear that I get too emotional... I did manage to find out the name of one homeschool family at our parish... I know nothing about her, but I will call her and see what's the scoop with the homeschooling situation... maybe we can make a connection... I hate making phone calls in general... and cold calls are the worst... But.... PS what is with you and geese? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PedroX Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 Homeschool, You never sound whiney, or like a cry baby. In fact, I'm glad of your posts, because it means that my rough transition was just because I'm dumb. I'm not afraid of anything, especially not mountains. I just don't see the point to much west of the Mississippi. (Well, I see the point to you and homeschool dad). Willguy, you talk tough, but its not exactly a secret where I live. Comeon up to Hoosier country. :blood: (just kidding!!) peace... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sojourner Posted April 21, 2004 Share Posted April 21, 2004 [quote name='homeschoolmom' date='Apr 21 2004, 12:13 PM'] Oh, PedroX likes to kid me about that... Not sure why... I pretty much live ON the Mississippi... I can be on the eastern side in about twenty minutes... I meant thanks for the post (I am not excited to hear that the fatigue takes a long time to recover from), but I am thankful for the friendly jab about the Mississippi (not sure why this is important to PedroX, but I guess it is... I think it's a fear of the mountains or something...) I needed a friendly pat on the head... I'm having a misserable day... [/quote] PedroX has a strange phobia about being West of the Mississippi; this has been true as long as I've known him. I've learned to just accept it as being one of his eccentric little quirks ... homeschoolmom, I experienced exactly the same thing you're talking about, and the transition was difficult, for sure. I think the thing that saved me was that I had a core group of very close friends who, although they weren't all Catholic, were extraordinarily supportive. Now that I've been attending my parish for just over nine months, I'm starting to see people I know every week, and starting to form some friendships. They're not close yet, but I've got hopes of them being that way eventually. It just takes time, I guess ... How far are you from Minneapolis? I've got friends there that I'm going to try to visit sometime this summer. Maybe we could hook up! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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