Hi everyone. I am new here on the forum, and to the “one true faith”.  
At no time is it ever my intention to be rude, disrespectful, condescending, or any other way hurtful to other people. Please know I am only seeking the truth and very wary of being led astray (in part due to my ignorance). 
For those who would feel like saying for me to go study, this is exactly what I am doing here...studying. 
For now, I wish to get a feel for the forum in order to know better how to pose the innumerable questions I have (many of which will probably get me flamed). 
Again my true intent is to learn the faith, not so much the details that don’t affect my soul being reunited with God (if I may put it this way for lack of better phrasing). 
I thank you all in advance for the help, and yes, I enjoy snarky and challenging responses. 

That is a great question.  I ponder it.  When I came from the New Order in 1996, I went through steps.  I wanted to know what it is to "be" a catholic.  My great-great uncle was/is a priest of the Confraternity of the Precious Blood.  He went to school at St. Charles Seminary in Carthgenia Ohio.  A priest from 1905 to 1944.  So, I have asked him through prayer to help guide me what it is to be a true Catholic.  I wanted to know what was in his "noodle".  What he had learned.

So, I found a new excitement for my faith, with his help.  Fr. Faber, Fr. Nagelisen (sp) the book of the Charitable Souls.  I found that I want to learn to be a Catholic.  I am excited and proud to be a catholic.  I must know the teachings and know enough to defend the Catholic Faith.  It is an inheritance.  For those who become lazy/sloth and don't care about being catholic anymore, I see as very sad.  

I will let strangers know that of all the roots that we do looking into our past, our Catholic faith is the most beautiful of inheritance.  So, I took time to look into the roots of my great=great uncle Fr. Rudolph Stoltz.  I was blessed to be able to walk through St. Charles Seminary in 2000 with my mother.  I saw Fr. Stoltz's tombstone.  I walked through the halls, he walked through.  I asked the tour guide(was priest) to show us the chapel/altar.  I knew it would be gone.  It was.  It did not affect my mom, but it did me.  My mom is new order.  I showed my disappointment when I saw it was gone.  Side altars went to the basement, where priest say new order mess.

I spoke up to the tour guide, my mom was upset with me.  I was hoping my mom would see what I see, but she couldn't/wouldn't.  My mom was so made with me that she said, "Why do you think you know so much!"  "All I want to know is why Fr. Stoltz wanted to be a priest."  So, I said, "We will pray and find out".  The prayer was answered!

The next year, my mom found a letter from Fr. Stoltz dated May 28, 1905.  That date is my mom's birthday, May 28.  She shared the letter (falling apart) with me on her birthday!  Fr. Stoltz's letter began: Dear Herman (his nephew, my grandfather) I understand you will be receiving your first Holy Communion.  Oh, the most beautiful day of your whole life....  Pray for your vocation.  It was on my Holy Communion day, that I prayed and I got a strong inclination to study for the priesthood!

The letter was longer.  He said, "At the top of this letter, you will see a picture (ink stamp) of St. Gaspar, the founder of the Precious Blood confraternity and Pope Pius X just saw to him being Blessed.

This is the excitement that helps me with "what it is like to be a catholic".  I did more work with the roots of the family.  My great-great uncle was age 5 when he left Bavaria with his family in 1847, one year after the 1846 letter of the Pope stating Communism for all it was.  In 1846, a potato famine that happened.  With more reading I read of war, and catholics being hated.  Gov't telling them to immigrate to the US.  

I am proud to be a Catholic and I thank God for my inheritance and I pray that I can be strong as those who are martyrs.  The Spirit is strong yet the flesh is weak.

It takes work to work for God and the whole heavenly cohort.  Prayers are so important. Rosaries and sacraments.  The Power is in the Blood, which is in all the sacraments.

800 Cruiser, I am taking the liberty of posting your introduction here:

My name is Matthew. I’m 43, married and father of 5. 
I received my conditional baptism September 15, 2018. No idea on when confirmation will occur. 
We live in the Pacific Northwest. 
For now I’m doing my best to follow my wife’s lead on the faith but am trying to catch up so I can fully and properly apply myself to the traditional role. (I have always supported my wife and children in the faith, despite being allegedly a Protestant) 

I suggest you fix your profile to show you are male.

Welcome and God's choicest blessings on your (conditional) baptism, that is, your reception into the Catholic Church. What a blessing for you and your family. It is the man's role to lead his family in the faith and now you have the grace to take on that responsibility, and moreso, when you will receive the Sacrament of confirmation.

As for me, I am a cradle Catholic, born into a devout Catholic family 72 years ago, so I've seen a few changes in my day, but the Catholic Church does not change. Many attempts have been made to change and undermine but She cannot fail. Stand fast and hold the traditions you have learned by word or by epistle...

I did not mean to post as anon & link is not working. Also no way to edit???

What does it mean to be Catholic?

It means you have a big, big responsibility.  Almost scary; because ... "But he that knew not, and did things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. And unto whomsoever much is given, of him much shall be required: and to whom they have committed much, of him they will demand the more."
[Luke 12:48]

It also means being truthful, one day while reading a spiritual book, I realized how important truth is; take the  sin of telling lies.  Did you know that even when a person, especially a Catholic living their faith, tells one little "white" lie it is as if you are pounding the nails in the hands of Jesus while hanging Him on the Cross. 

That is how much God hates lies. 

That is not scruples, the book goes on to explain how much God loves the Truth from us.  We must pray daily for the grace that we too, will love the Truth.  

That is what it means to be Catholic.

My post above. I forgot to check the box.

It means to belong to the Church that Jesus Christ, the GOD-MAN, founded, and therefore, the only One which hold the Divine promises.

Thank you all. Please keep this going for me. 

Also, thank you to all who have decided to show their username instead of posting anonymously, it means a lot to me.