It's Official: I'm Difficult

So the robots roaming Clearwater, FL, have determined, in their infinitely numb wisdom, that I'm a difficult person.  Coming from them, that's a badge of honor!  Scientologists beware: I'm anathema to the brainwashing process!  And thank you dear mindless Scientologists.  I always wanted to use the word anathema.  Finally! 

This blog has taken a turn from a lovely lesbian to a loathsome L. Ron Hubbard loving leech. 

Just how was this precious honor bestowed upon me by this mindless "let's all follow a failed sci-fi writer" crowd?  Simple.  My ex remarried a Scientologist.  He seemed like a decent guy who did well by my son, Jason.  I am purposely skipping many personal details.  After all, break ups and divorces are a dime a dozen.  This entry contains two.  Now that's foreshadowing!  Can you guess how this entry ends?  Smart crowd!  But read on anyway...

One fine December 19 evening (oh I can recall details when I want to!) I arrived at their house on Eastern Long Island to take my boy to his Boy Scouts pack meeting.  My ex and her husband, Robert (no anonymity here; my blog!) said that they were leaving in 10 days to spend six weeks in Florida.  "So where is Jason going to stay?"  Pretty reasonable opening question on my part.  "Oh, we've enrolled him in a school in Clearwater" was Robert's unreasonable reply.  This led to a slightly louder and less amicable conversation in their kitchen.  Which school did this mindless idiot enroll my son in?  Clearwater Academy International, where little minds from all over the world get washed as their parents seek some sort of mind washing and wallet clearing training of their own in the Scientology Capital of the World!  Arrive with your thoughts, leave with ours.  The school is operated by Applied Scholastics, which instructs its students in some whackadoo "tech" instruction inspired by the failed sci-fi writer named above.  Jason leaving his school for six weeks to attend this mind-to-mush institution?  Never!  Adrenaline kicked in, and luckily so did logic.  I told Robert that Jason wasn't going and that if he required six weeks of Clearwater "training" to run his irrigation business (no offense, man, but you deliver water from point A to point B), that he was going to have to find other living arrangements for Jason during that time.  With some sort of Hubbard inspired balls, he said that "we're going anyway!"  Game on, Dillweed! 

Honestly, I was scared.  Nothing scares me more than my boy moving far away.  Losing him in any way is my Achilles Heel.  Couple that with a deluge of robotic programming that instructs followers to shun those who don't acknowledge the wonders and brilliance of this "religion," and the series of sleepless nights and increased blood pressure began. 

Robert and I got into it pretty good in his kitchen.  I was relentless and cut him down to size before taking Jason to his pack meeting.  I was seething and kicked his mental ass in his kitchen in front of his wife.  He went silent.  Mental Midget down! 

The next several days were spent researching this school and developing an obsession with Clearwater.  The more I learned, the scarier the prospect of Jason attending, no matter how slim, became.  I drove out there two days later, a Friday, and Natalie was home alone with Jason.  I unleashed on her, which I still feel badly about, but it had to be done.  Jason wasn't going and that was my final decision.  She cried.  Jason and I left.

I had the pleasure of answering Robert's phone calls that weekend.  I credit him for his persistence.  It was either persistence or he really enjoyed hearing me say, "Jason isn't going and that's not negotiable.  If you want to take a kid out of school and enroll him in some bullshit unaccredited institution, do it to your own son but you're not fucking up mine."  His persistence continued: "the school would work on Jason's NY school's curriculum."  "Really Robert, should I leave my pants up while you jerk me around?"  I love that line and am thankful that he provided me with an opportunity to say it...to him.

Maureen (girlfriend from previous post) was in town visiting me during this time.  I give her a lot of credit because I was a man possessed and so much of my mental energy was focused on Clearwater and keeping Jason out of it.  She was a brilliant support!  I'm certain that she, along with quite a few others, would agree that I'm difficult...

I decided to write a superbly legal sounding letter to a couple of school personnel at CAI,  which basically stated that they weren't to provide any educational or tutoring instruction to Jason at all without my expressed written consent (saying expressed written consent makes it superbly legal sounding).  I sent a copy to the Florida Department of Education, not that they had any sway over CAI given that the school was unaccredited.  But it sure looked good as a cc on the letter.  I also sent a copy to Jason's current school and must express gratitude to his principal for his support throughout this mess. 

Several days went by.  Since it was the holiday season the school was closed.  Robert's calls stopped.  I wasn't hearing from Natalie either.  That was the odd part because even though we're divorced we've always maintained regular communication.  Much of it concerned Jason.  But some of it was just kind of friendly and funny stuff.  So the silence was odd.  My Jason pick ups and drop offs were awkwardly silent and cold. 

And then came the morning of January 3.  Robert called me and stated that he realized they couldn't take Jason and enroll him without my consent.  Glad that sunk in!  I met them the next night at Chuck E Cheese to try to patch things up.  Robert and Natalie were still going to Florida but Jason was going to stay at a local friend's house and remain in NY.  Blood pressure normal! 

Only their trip lasted three weeks and they returned early.  Something obviously happened but I never spoke to Natalie about it. 

On the same Saturday that my hot Cherry Grove lesbian date from my previous blog post ended, Natalie called me and asked to meet me at her parents' house later that afternoon.  She said that there was a situation that she needed to tell me about.  I instantly thought that there was something medically wrong with her and got a bit scared.  Doesn't take much to remind you that we're humans with hearts rather than beings living as proscribed by a legal agreement.

Natalie and I stepped into her parents' backyard and she proceeded to tell me that things weren't good at home, that Robert was abusive (the details aren't necessary to repeat here) and that she was pursuing a divorce.  She said that she felt stupid for staying with him for so long before deciding to leave him.  It was a sad moment and she was very emotional.  Humans with hearts...

The days since have been rough for her, with lawyers and courts and a restraining order filed.  But we decided to have dinner with Jason last night.  And she filled me in on Robert's thinking and her take on the Clearwater situation.  She was thankful that I stood up to Robert because she didn't really want Jason to enroll in that school either.  She needed to see Clearwater to understand what it was her husband was going to pursue and ultimately leave her alone for six weeks for.  She said he became so controlling and abusive during that time - said that she was torn and should have pursued a divorce then.  And when the school called him to inform him that they received my letter and that Jason couldn't attend, he became enraged.  They labeled me as a difficult person. 

That's a proud label to have when you save your son!  Thank you, Clearwater!

Robert, I never had an issue with you prior to December.  But then you moved in on my turf and tried to steal my boy.  You got what you deserved. Dillweed!  Mind numb unoriginal thinking monster!  You voluntarily surrendered your mind and now you're going to lose everything else.  You're too dumb to be difficult!