they DO exist.

I'm so happy.

I keep playing little scenes in my head from the next days. I can't wait to be sitting in the dark of some St. Louis dive, telling my friends story after story about my life here. I'm going to tell them about things people have told me--about life, and Jesus, and politics, and sex, and movies. I know now that they're going to be shocked. And I can't wait. Oh, man. I so can't wait to be with people who understand how shocking all of this is. I'm smiling so big right now. I can't wait.

I keep telling my friends down here that they don't understand how other they are. And after awhile, I started to doubt myself. Is it really that different? But then my conversations with friends and family jolted me back, and I remembered...it is that different, really. The way that my friends and family reacted to not only the stories I told, but to the changes in me, reminded me of how far this world is from that.

I can't wait to get back to that world. Even if only for a few days with my friends over this weekend. :-) To be understood. To tell stories of some of this craziness, and have them gasp, and say "what the what?!?!" They'll totally get it.

It's not even just the Christian culture I'm talking about. James River, and my friends are of a different stripe. I really am in the Christian Right. These are the people who believe that the earth is only 6000 years old, and that Sarah Palin was a valid candidate. In college, we heard of these people, but regarded them somewhat mythically. Could they really exist? They do. And I love them.

But I can't wait to be amongst my own.