Thanks @aunt-deb...
wow yes you have certainly lived through it! my dad lost his home-building company during that industry crash so it was also close to home for my family. really good that you had pared down early! i've truly never had faith in any of the political systems, but yes we did all see what a nasty game it is this political election.... ugh!
hahah that you've retired from debates (mostly)... sorry to hear about your stroke, but glad to hear you're keeping things close to home. i really appreciated your words above, as i mentioned. i (wren) can get pretty heated about sooo many of these topics and i'm trying to find a good balance between being open and welcoming on steemit and sharing controversial opinions. i'm pretty opinionated in real life and people tend to know where i stand, but i also don't want to alienate people and am pretty "live and let live" and believe fully in freedom of speech and each person being on their own journey-- that said, i do have strong opinions lol!
i grew up in the church and have since left so i have quite strong opinions about that and didn't feel like i was unheated enough to respond to that know-it-all comment above in a kind, non-heated way. so many people, esp super religious people, don't have any space for alternative viewpoints and i knew it was probably useless in that case anyway... i say all of this to also say, i value your opinion and you have a non-heated way of expressing it, so i hope you'll chime in where you have the energy/feel like doing so. glad you're a part of our circle here, @aunt-deb <3 be well.
The real estate industry implosion was a shock to a lot of us who figured there'd always be jobs related to the field. We're glad we're out of it now, but that was not the easiest way to do it. Lol!
Ditto on the 'live and let live' viewpoint. It's easy until someone gets up into my grill with absolutes - especially if it's in an inappropriate venue. That one was obviously out of place. I wasn't sure about responding as a third party, so I tip-toed as much as I could, while hoping the message got across. On the structured religion thing... been there, done that, burned the t-shirt. Some folks find it comforting and secure. That's great! It got to where it was smothering me, so I ditched it.
Thanks for the kinds thoughts about my stroke. I was lucky and caught it very early. It affected my speech, so verbal debating is more difficult now. I have to choose my battles more carefully. Lol! Online debates are still an option. I just have to remind myself that the blockchain is forever. I better mean what I say & have my facts straight, ya know?
Anyway, for what it's worth, Steemit has become my current online home and refuge from the insanity that so pervasive elsewhere. I get to hang out with upbeat, smart, funny, and warm folk like y'all! Can't beat that with a stick!!!
love it @aunt-deb, thanks so much for the insightful comment and always a laugh! i'll check out the link about your stroke. my grandma had one that marked her later years and it is a threat in my fam so i'm curious to learn more about catching them early <3