Peeling back the mask . . . Non-fiction saga exposing shamelessly explosive detailed accounts of her journey and experiences in the Deep South while stepping on the toes of many. Her goal is to force accountability.
PEELING BACK THE MASK
Exposing The Lies In A Small Town And Maybe A Town Near You.By Terry E. LyleAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2012 Authoress Terry E. Lyle
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4772-7886-4Contents
Chapter One (Reflecting)........................................2Chapter Two (Communication Breakdown)...........................13Chapter Three (The Saga Continues)..............................24Chapter Four (The Men I Encountered)............................36Chapter Five (The Buzz Around Town).............................50Chapter Six (Scandalous Women)..................................65Chapter Seven (Passing the Time)................................72Chapter Eight (Full Disclosure).................................79Chapter Nine (My screwed up neighbors)..........................87Featuring a poem by Authoress Terry E. Lyle.....................97
Chapter One
(Reflecting)
* * *
Quite often you'll find yourself in deep thought triggered by pent-up hostility by some injustice aimed at you and with that being said I will attempt to accurately expose the dirty little secrets hidden behind the mask of smiles.
it started for me approximately six years ago when I ventured to move south to what is known as the Bible Belt. The term Bible Belt is given to a region considered to be known for its many churches and the many spiritually minded people who live in the area.
Like everything else, things aren't always as what they appear. I fellowship at this tiny little church and on a good day we may have sixty people and on a normal day it's approximately thirty-five to forty people in attendance.
I remembered when I switched my membership I chose to sit in the rear of the church so I wouldn't be noticed as I watched the behaviors of the other members.
Sitting in the back of a church has many advantages ... from there you can see the subtle little things being done discreetly while others up front hope that no one else has noticed.
From the rear of the church I had noticed some of the adults as well as their children trying to quietly open candy wrappers and enjoy their sweet delights while hiding their trash in the holders used for the placement of hymn books and Bibles.
I have watched some people discreetly attempting to sniff their armpits for odors because perhaps they had forgotten their deodorant that morning while others fidget as they busy themselves adjusting their hair-pieces and neckties.
One of the funniest things is watching a sleeping member whose head violently snaps back when they fall asleep while hoping no one notices the drool dripping down the side of their mouth. My all-time favorite is when someone coughs and farts at the same time and tries to look dignified while praying that no one smells them. The different personalities are hilarious at best but didn't Jesus say "come as you are"?
But we, the body of Christ, hope you don't stay the way you came. Like any other congregation I would imagine that the members with the mental disorders create a situation that brings distress and heavy sighs from the rest of the congregation when those afflicted get up or speak.
Immediate apprehensions set in because you never know whether they will cross that line of "inappropriate" speech or actions and blame it on their condition or medications. Secretly, many of them are doing what they wanted to do because they know they have an acceptable excuse.
My days of sitting in the rear of the church were brief because I was urged to sit closer to the front by one of the older members so I complied. I have regretted that decision ever since and I never should have broken routine from my chosen seating arrangement and advantage point.
Now, the members who had urged me to sit up front near them will be referred to as the "black kennedys". Every congregation has them ... the well-dressed members who make everyone sick with their pompous air of superiority. Sometimes you feel like you need to bow before royalty when they allow you to speak within their little circle.
Even when you compliment their jewelry and style they are so arrogant in their blessing that they will inform you that their bling is real, but who really cares about that small detail of fact. I could wear costume jewelry and look just as nice and wouldn't have to worry about someone busting me up-side my head to steal an expensive piece of jewelry.
When engaged in conversations with them and in their self-righteousness you need to listen very carefully because if you don't pay attention they will throw digs at you. Their true colors creep through behind their smiles and the mask that they wear.
Yet their behavior of acting like the best Christians on Sunday and backbiting and gossiping about you when your back is turned is the reason why a lot of new and seasoned Christians leave the church and don't return.
Personally, I found it to be a pain in my butt because I didn't feel like I wanted to be on display or did I insinuate that I needed to be noticed as someone special on the church's unspoken V.I.P. list. With changing health conditions there were days when I just couldn't get it together because I wasn't sleeping well at night or because of my own personal drama.
Sitting near the front of the church sanctuary meant I would also have to stay awake when I, personally, found the sermon on some days to be uninspiring and at such times I had difficulty concentrating and the pastoral speakers couldn't hold my attention. I struggled to keep my eyes open making being up close to the front a real problem.
Often I would feel guilty sitting in church appearing like I was praying when I felt nothing but bitterness and prayer wasn't in me while holding my head down. As a result, I periodically ended up enjoying brief moments of welcomed sleep while hoping I didn't begin to snore.
Initially I thought the black Kennedys were the sweetest God-fearing people I would have ever had the pleasure to meet, but like everyone else they too revealed that they had flaws and dirty little secrets like the rest of us.
I really don't allow myself to get close to strangers but with the black Kennedys I fell in love with them fast. I was devastated to learn that those feelings were not shared and the startling revelation came about because of the love of money and broken promises.
I'll return later to discuss the black Kennedys but I'll switch to another so-called Christian couple. For the purpose of this revelation I will call them the Bishops. The Bishops were always seen helping out around church whenever there was a function, however, it turned out they were motivated to serve in order to kiss the buttocks of the Kennedys and gather a title of nobility within the ranking structure of the church.
I didn't really care while I laughed and watch them work their fingers to the bone only to be noticed as someone special in their minds only.
Needless to say this church had a lot of colorful personalities that will be revealed later in my story. Coming south was a shock for me, a lot of things were different from what I was accustomed too.
Life in the big city was filled with the hustle and bustle of energetic activity. Dealing with some of my low class friends, freaks, kindred spirits and spiritual advisors, gave spice to my life on several levels.
This reminds me of one of my transvestite friends named Tee-Tee, who was a total character. Tee-Tee would scare the living mess out of my grandson. My grandson couldn't understand why this ugly man had breasts as big as his mother's while sporting the biggest...
