Who is here? An introduction post

Re-writing and finding community in post Mormon spaces

I know for myself that the idea of knowing how to create community in my first ex-Mormon years was so overwhelming. I think I had been so taught to believe that I would only find it inside of a ward structure, and within Mormonism itself, that I had almost no confidence in the belief that I could cultivate on my own terms.

In the beginning, it was vital for me to have a community of people who were also post Mormon. It sort of felt like learning to walk on land after a lifetime of living out at sea, and I needed people who also understood what life was like on that boat. The intimate community stitched together by just a few people also charting new territory gave me space to articulate, be unhinged, be angry, and to celebrate.

I see those couple of years after my leaving, and even now, but especially at the beginning, as so much work. It was deeply emotional and mentally rigorous to unpack nearly every aspect of my life. It was an important aspect to note that in this time, I was not re-packing almost anything. In a Marco Polo group, as I did my daily tasks, I also spent hours with these friends simply pulling things apart.