About a year ago I stopped writing my blog entitled Tales of a Faithful DragonSlayer. In the 5+ years I wrote it, it evolved from a therapeutic tool to recover from my stroke in 2008 to more of a way for people to keep up with the life and times of a not-so-regular Anglican priest attempting to survive in a rapidly changing landscape (the Church). It became something that I felt was not all that healthy for my spirit, so I set it aside.

Now a year or so later I find myself in a much different place. The primary reason for my writing the blog was for myself. It kept my mind sharp, and allowed me to express myself in ways that stretched and exercised my mind. It allowed me to release what is clearly my unorthodox sense of humor, but it evolved to the point that I avoided things I believed in, not wanting to get into political or theological debates with others, as it truly is my own personal conviction that if you want to disagree with me that is your God-given right…..even if you are dead wrong.

But my discomfort about such things led me to back off, and to some extent cower down, which is not only contrary to my style, but offensive to my own personal theology.

It brings to mind a trend that is happening in our country which disturbs me very deeply……..we have surrendered the right to be ourselves.

I am writing this entry on an airplane returning to Indiana from attending my Aunt Winnie’s funeral in Sarasota, Florida. Aunt Winnie was my grandma’s sister, and her voice and her presence in my life personally was an unbelievable comfort to me since my grandma died in the late 1970’s. It was a wonderful gathering of family that she herself probably would have enjoyed the most.

But what may surprise some who read this is that in my family I am a minority. Yep, this right-wing, racist, homophobe, hateer, and all the other crap I have been called over the years comes from a family of liberals, some who would make Barry Sanders look conservative. And some even still attend and are active members in good-standing of the Episcopal Church whose shameful and offensive treatment of me as I left at the end of 2006, not even Stephen King could concoct. Yet there I was Tommy, and there were my aunts and uncles and cousins, and quite frankly though we joked about religion, sexuality, and politics, none of us gave a damn about head locking another. In my family, of which one of the finest women I have ever known we were there to honor was a matriarch, We love each other first. Family is family, and if I just lived in Cleveland I could cancel out more of their votes.

But I had an Epiphany there, and I need to write. And I need to write about the truth as I know it and believe it. If you are offended by it, remember just like David Thorne does (yes, I am a fan), I write my blog for me.

In fact, I feel healthier already, so much so in fact that if I had a personal trainer and a therapist I would fire them both. But for now I will just take things one step at a time.

And so we are clear, I also moved this to FrTomTirman.com, not because of some repressed narcissistic tendencies that suddenly surfaced, but because of all the junk mail that came into my box through my Google (I am sorry Alphabet-cha) account right after I signed back into my blog about a month ago. Coincidence? Oh I am sure! But it was enough for me to move it, and will allow me to do a few other things as well.

The best part however is that I already know how to spell my name!

God Bless!

Tommy+