Stupid man @Dimity
What we put up with... weary sigh.
Part of my motivation is to model possibilities for my son. So that is a strong reason. I have been pretty isolated for a while, it happened gradually. Since I have tried to reintegrate. Any of the issues have really been due to people being really obnoxious as I am pretty adept at side stepping and 2 stepping and walking away etc etc. It is not just about me. I see the kind of things that my father would have dealt with and my sibs etc, so I am not taking it so personally, which is a huge shift for me. Growing up with little privacy and not much of a sense of self I internalised a lot that was just other people mouthing off. I have worked thru a lot of that, now and am pretty analytical about interpersonal stuff these days. Taking one step and one issue at a time. My diplomacy is getting less and less, but its still my natural style.
Hope you find more to call your tribe soon. It was horrible when I felt my physical neighbours were not good for me or my friends. That has changed but it was hard going. They dont have to be bosom buddies, just sufficient respect is all I want. Not stigma, bullies, bitchiness or digs.
One lady has toned down her attitude and I think feels genuinely sorry for going in too hard. I did tell her to leave my visitors alone, but in last year she has figured out I am good person and neighbour and she is not teasing or picking on me. I can accept that she gets on better with a new lady. Neither are educated and both very Aussie, thats fine. The ointernal shift for me, is that I know it is outside of me, and not inside of me. For a long time I was not sure. It certainly helps having a front door and a safe haven inside my own home.
