"Oh, what a silly, presumptuous, arrogant person!" I suppose that's rolling around in your head right now?
So what images do you see when you read these words?
Homebirthed.
Vaccine-free.
Uncircumcised (intact as we say it).
Breastfeeding toddler.
Homeschooled/unschooled.
Herbalist, homeopath, naturalist.
Organic.
Hippie.
Cloth diapering, attachment parenting mom.
Co-sleeper.
It's a question for personal analysis. You don't have to tell me. But, from being around for awhile, I can take a light guess. You might conjure up images of women with shaved, dyed hair and multiple piercings. Women squatting in a yurt, no electricity, covered in tattoos as they chant in a satanic tongue while pushing out their babies. Those homeschoolers are out of touch with reality. Socially awkward. Misfits of all kinds. Pushy, judgy and unrealistic. Martyrs and extremists. Liberals, you mutter. Nutters, you roll your eyes. What weirdies. Fruity loops. Stupid, ignorant, outdated. Over controlling, over protective. Different and odd.
Not at all like meeee, you say.
Homebirthed.
Vaccine-free.
Intact.
Term Breastfeeder.
Homeschooled.
Maybe the worst category of the bunch is vaccination. The way people talk, why, they must think those who avoid vaccines are diseased-ridden zombies hiding in the dark swamp land, ready to take over the country at any moment. At night, while you lie in your germ-free home, safely protected by a shield keeping out all danger thanks to your vaccine schedule, we climb out of our lairs. We drag our rotting limbs behind us, intent on breaking into your windows to spread disease and filth (somehow with our evil power, we can do this, even though you are fully vaccinated...) We're fringe, we're rare, we're out of sight and detested by all.
Watch out. Here comes the horde. Homeschoolers, not circumcised, selectively vaccinated or vaccine free, cloth diapering, no diapering, babywearing, co-sleeping, breastfeeding all over the place...including next door. To you.
Coming to get you. Coming after you.
Not all like youuuuur family.
Who are we?
We're the vaccine-free, intact boys playing on your son's team.
We're the homeschoolers enjoying a field trip at the zoo.
And showing some spirit at school.
We're the big, homebirthed, vaccine-free, homeschooled, intact, family you see every week at church.
And we're at the playground, even drinking from the SAME water fountain! The horror!
You walk past our carved pumpkins on the way to our door when trick or treating.
Your kids join us to play outside.
We invite you to our birthday parties. With cake. :)
At night, we read bedtime stories, too.
We celebrate like you.
We cherish special moments like you.
And our bathtubs might get some extra mileage.
Some of us might look like the stereotypes you've been taught to hate or mock.
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood.
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