Increased responsibilities are definitely a factor for lack of time to devote to friendships in later years, but not everyone has so many weighty responsibilities.  Not everyone has to take care of elderly parents.  Many have children when they are young so by the time they are 50 their kids are out of the house, and yet they still have few friends.

Ya TF that is true. Fr. Hewko says this all the time.  It is a crisis in doctrine.  I believe we can be friends to others without compromising doctrine.  After all, isn't giving the root of friendship and of charity?

I don't know if shallow is the right word.  I think there are different depths of friendship, even among brothers and sisters.  My two oldest boys enjoy each others company but they both also enjoy time by themselves.  My two youngest boys are inseparable and refer to each other as "Best Bruders".  I think all friendships start off superficially.  Some stay that way and others grow deeper.  Nothing wrong with any of those.

Angry and offended at my lame attempt at an ad-hominem against your person?  I just wondered why you reacted as you did and asked the question.

His post rang a bell with some of my own observations and experiences. I didn't think it had anything to do with criticism of you.

I am sorry you have interpreted my question as an attack. I certainly have no reason nor intention of attacking your person.

Nadir, you're just digging a deeper hole.

"I just wondered why you reacted as you did..."

Yeah, I know -- when someone gets red-faced, starts spewing spittle all over the place, and starts throwing things, it's natural to want to know what's behind that emotional outburst.

See what I'm saying? You are still saying I "reacted" which implies quite a bit of emotion. You're suggesting the emotion was palpable in my post.

An Ad-hominem is a logical fallacy that diverts from the argument by focusing on flaws, etc. in the person delivering it.

Long story short: I didn't "react". I participated in the discussion. I hit the little "Reply" button at the bottom of the screen. You know, what this forum is all about!

I can disagree with a flawed post like Ekim's without having to be emotional or "reacting" in an way.

Thanks Mabel you hit the nail on the head.  Sometimes the truth hurts.  Yes Matthew I am a Traditional Catholic for almost 30 years now. I did misspeak when I said "single mom" what I should have said was a mom who single handedly home schools her children b/ c her husband works. I know this woman.  Sorry if you think her valiant and heroic attempt to raise her kids the best way she can is fictitious. Please say a prayer for her.

I've taken the pilgrimage to Mecca (St.Mary's) and saw "Catholic" kids being rude to each other in the schoolyard.   I've seen the moms come pick up their kids and observed the moms with pants waiting for the kids to run to  the car while moms in skirts got out of their cars and walked over to the sidewalk. Like it or not Traditional. Catholicism has a healthy share of phonys.

There are thousands, probably tens of thousands of good, loving, and kind teachers who teach in public schools.  Guess what there are three at our chapel alone.  That doesnt include the two men who are college professors. These good people do a great job!  Sure there are schools to be avoided and there are others to be embraced. There just is. Look at Dr. White, his influence at the Naval Academy was outstanding!  Believe me, the military academies are just prestigious public schools. The kids not to mention  Our Lord NEEDS good traditional Catholics to teach in these schools, to take them over, to restore them for His greater glory.  

We must work hard to RESTORE ALL THINGS IN CHRIST no matter how bleak it may seem.  All things are possible with faith in God and trust in His divine providence.  

There is SO much in this post I have to respond to.

1. Yes, "The truth hurts", but don't kid yourself -- uncharitable/unjust accusation and slander hurt just as much :)  So don't assume that just because you hurt someone it's "only the truth" that did it.

2. You don't have to take me to task for thinking a woman is "fictitious" after you admit you made a mistake which made her seem fictitious. Understand? If I thought she was fictitious it was *only* because you said something that made her seem impossible, like a square circle. A single mom with a husband is a contradiction in terms. Just apologize for your mistake and move on. You don't proceed to accuse someone of being "incredulous" when you practically forced them to be.

3. You don't address the point of WHY those pants-wearing women feel ashamed in their pants. It's like they know they're doing something less-than-ideal.

4. I found something I agree with you about: St. Mary's. I think there are a lot of phony people there. I know that for a fact. One of the families I mentioned (who moved there) told me that on the phone. Even though he and his wife are social butterflies, they had a hard time finding a few friends after 5 years. I have said for years that many Trads have issues (I mentioned that just a couple posts ago!) and I'm very upset with Trads that are rude, judgmental, etc.

5. You are still imprudent and naive. You say I don't trust in providence; I say you are tempting God.

6. To elaborate point #5, public schools are NOT to be embraced under ANY circuмstances. You are extremely naive. I don't care how many good teachers or good Catholics work there. We're not talking about private tutors, private schools, or One-Room Schoolhouses. Public school teachers have to teach Common Core, or whatever curriculum the National Education Association dictates in their State. They have to teach evolution, sex ed, and bad literature. And regardless of the teachers, it's the pagan culture all around them -- the students -- that are the problem. Plus the enforced materialism and atheism that pervades all subjects taught. You think that has no effect on vulnerable, growing minds?

7. In conclusion, I see why I disagree with you so much. You believe it's OK to send your kids to public school. That is something that would pretty much CROSS OFF a family from my list of potential friends. There is nothing a homeschooling family and a public school family could have in common. Both the kids and the parents would be worlds apart as far as lifestyle and attitudes.

8. I would have to leave final judgment to God and the advice of your traditional priest, but I would have serious misgivings about the state of soul of a person who could send their children to public school in a city like Sodom. And that's where we live, remember. The world is not just a bit flawed, in need of a bit of leaven -- no, it's hopelessly lost. This is 2014, not 1950. The world today is worse than before the Great Flood. A bit of Catholic influence is not going to turn things around. People aren't just supernaturally "insane", they have lost even the NATURAL LAW in many cases. Satan hasn't just blown up the edifice of Faith; even the foundations have been damaged!

When my parents went to school (in the 1960's) there was still a lot of natural sanity and decency left in the World. Just read that famous e-mail forward about the 1950's vs. Today and you'll see what I mean. Today we have co-ed sex education, scantily clad teenage girls, and every other evil. And it's about to get worse with Common Core.

Had the honor and privilege of spending a week with Fr. Hewko and his boys.  Some of the boys were home schooled some where not.  Some lived in the city, some on farms, and some in the suburbs.  Some had parents who were doctors, while others were farmers, and factory workers.  These boys just enjoyed being with each other having good clean fun.  They seemed to be genuinely friendly to each other.  They did not have any judgments or misgivings about each other.  They simply loved one another as Our Lord loved them.

I learned a lot from those boys that week.

Mary Help of Christians...Pray for us!

Blanket statements? No, not really.  They were truly observations.  You don't know me. So you can't say what I am like.  That's a fact.

I was sincere when I said you would be welcomed at my house.  Honest.  

But for those with problems, and they do exist, most of them stem from a spiritual problem.

A dear trad lady once called a couple of chapels we were familiar with, "The Island of Misfit Toys."  

  Like the helpful  trad lady who went off on me at the abortion clinic:  It was raining, and I had a large umbrella, big enough for the kids and I to pray beneath.  It had an IKEA logo on it somewhere, so I was unsuitable or something.

I could tell she didn't want to be my friend.

Just because one "Believes" something, doesn't make it true.  A person may believe that public schools are all evil, (and many are).  But just because one believes this doesn't make it true.  There are good schools out there and good teachers.    

There are many who now believe ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖity is a genetic trait but just like a person can not prove that every public school is evil, scientists can not prove that ɧoɱosɛҳųαƖity is genetic.  

Simply believing something, even in your deepest heart of hearts, doesn't make it true.

The Church frowned heavily upon sending Catholic children to public schools pre-V-II.  If I'm not mistaken, it was forbidden where there were Catholic school alternatives.  If the "Church" wasn't dominated by @$$-kissing pagan-lovers, atheist-lovers, ecuмenism-loving, protestant-blending radicals, it would still be like that today.  In fact, in light of how bad the world is today, sending Catholic children to public schools may be forbidden in virtually every conceivable scenario.

Public schools are all evil today--they are systematically evil--ALL of them.  They train girls to be quarterbacks and governors, and effeminize and fαɢɢօtize boys; they more or less implicitly or explicitly promote all manner of sɛҳuąƖ promiscuousity; they teach children how to bring the system down on their parents for disciplining, owning guns, etc.  Public schools are evil.

I don't know what sort of private schools you and Matthew are speaking of.  I strongly suspect Ekim is speaking of protestant schools as he hasn't clarified for me yet.  Schools are either going to be devoid of religion which isn't acceptable for Catholics, or they're going to engage in some form of religion practicing.  For Catholics, any sort of blended non-denominational crap is unacceptable.  Thus, I don't see how any private school that isn't Catholic can be acceptable to Catholic parents.