"Community"

Hello Everyone:

I see things have been a bit quiet on your end lately.  I don't blame you.  I haven't been able to keep you up on my life for the last few days.  Let me fill you in on what's been going on.  What started out as a mellow Wednesday afternoon blew up into a crazy making evening.  I lost my wallet with all my cards and cash on the way home from the grocery store.  Needless to say I was extremely upset.  However, the universe didn't let me wallow or get myself all in a twist for too long.  A good Samaritan found my wallet, empty of the cash, googled my name, and called me to tell me that he had my wallet with all the cards and my driver's license.  Thank you universe.  I went to pick it up.  Thursday, Friday, and the weekend were nice and mellow.  Thursday evening I saw a great Alfred Hitchcock film, Notorious, then the bf came over and well you know.  Let's just say when we make love it's wonderful.  The apartment is back to something that resembles normal, although, the exterminators do have to come back tomorrow.  After the heart attack, I was told that they have come in and spread some poison gel in the kitchen.  Good for me because I don't have to take anything out, bad for the cockroaches.

At home, we're getting into another crazy making period, the High Holidays.  Once again, mom is trying her best to twist my arm into going to services and attending family meals and once again, I keep refusing.  My argument is that I simply cannot relate to anyone there.  What I'm going to talk about, other people's children?  How boring is that?  I can't wrap my head around the whole go to services thing because I really don't feel comfortable in a synagogue.  I just don't for a number of reasons.  I don't know anyone and no one is friendly and welcoming.  The sermons are boring and too long.  The whole ritual is just off putting.  I'd rather do other things.  I don't expect to be entertained, just feel comfortable.  I tried one non-orthodox synagogue and found it a little too hippie trippy for my taste.  The meals are also too long and boring.  Never mind the food sucks and the company is a joke.  I think what mom is getting at is that I should be part of a "community", ideally a Jewish community.  I never took to the whole community thing.  It seems to inspire visions of conformity, something I detest.  Despite my mom's reassurances that this is not the case, I still get the very distinct impression that everyone has to fall in line or be ostracized.  Again, something I detest.  The only "community" I genuinely feel comfortable in is with other architects, preservationists, and planners.  Most of those, I meet online through various discussion boards.  Regardless, I quite keen on going my own way during the High Holidays, keep my head down, and avoid the crazy people.