[Prudence]

I really should keep my mouth shut (or my fingers still) since the more I dwell on this the angrier I become.

In any group/organization/whathaveyou there will be groups that gel more cohesively within the whole -- the clique issue. It's naive to think otherwise. Not all of us get to go to meets, attend cultural functions en masse, etc. And that's life.

What's not cool is pointing it out to those on the periphery. And that's what today felt like to me. Guess what Leanne?! You're not part of the club! We are having a great joke that doesn't make sense to you because you don't hang with us and we're doing it out in public and we're going to drag it out so that you can appreciate how cool we are.

Of course I don't think anyone did this with any "malice aforethought." Regardless, my feelings were hurt. I'm glad that apparently most everyone else thought it was cool and funny. But my feelings were hurt.

And no, this is not a major incident that will be marked in my memoirs as a dark chapter in the life of whomever I turn out to be. But I looked on the LoT as a little sanctuary in the midst of a stressful point in my life and, like peeling paint on Main Street, a little of the magic's now gone.

So today's little excursion was great fun for many. Bully for you. I got reminded that I'm on the outside looking in. Wasn't so much fun for me. Not really your problem, I know. I'll go back to my busy evening of Pope Watch 2005.