Very personal vent......

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I need to vent and talk about something and I just don't know where to go or who to turn to right now.........so might as well turn to the most open and big hearted group that I know of.

This is my first Christmas........

Kind of odd I know but let me start out in saying that I don't want this to turn into a religious conversation AT ALL. I was raised a Jehovah's Witness and never celebrated Christmas. I had a HUGE group of friends that we would still get together and all hang out, go snowboarding, have a big dinner or just something during this time of the year just to partake in some of the warmth of the holidays.

Last year I decided enough was enough. My wife and I got a divorce after 12 years and I left the religion. With leaving the religion I ended up losing EVERY ONE of my friends. Long story on how that works but they pretty much disown you if you walk away or are what they call disfellowshiped. Your family, friends everybody.

My family has been cool about it and have been accepting but they don't do Christmas. But here I am now all by myself on a day when you should be surrounded by family and friends. It's hitting me a lot harder then I thought it would. I've been making new friends now because I seriously had to start all over at 33 years old, ground zero, no friends and in a new town. I followed my ex wife to Reno, NV because she wanted to bring the kids here.

I just needed to vent and if anybody here has been thru this (there are a lot of ex JW's out there) then feel free to PM me but PLEASE and I plead with you DO NOT TURN THIS INTO A BASHING OF RELIGION.

Just feels better to talk about it........

This is my plan for later today, I am a photographer and I'm going to go out and take portraits of some of the homeless people in the area and listen to their stories about how they got there. I've got coffee and cookies that I'm going to pass out also. Then next year I'm going to do an exhibit with their pictures and their names and stories below. Kind of depressing but these guys have it MUCH worse then I do right now and that's what you always have to remember isn't it?

Thanks guys for a place to let people vent, a place for people to make new friends and a place for some of the best people in the world to get together.