The Q/Thanos theory reminds me of a conversation I had with 21yo ds. He'd heard of Q but didn't really know much about it. After I told him what I knew, he said, "Wow, that sounds like a really bad comic book."

I wonder if this will eventually fade away or at least weaken after predictions keep failing to come true? Yet there is another date set when it WILL happen. "Trust the plan." But after many months or years?? I've seen stories of people leaving and talking about their experiences, so I will hold onto hope.

I think about #2 a lot. I don't want them to be isolated from everyone else who is not in Q-Land, and I'd like them to know that even if they choose not to remain close now, if they ever change their minds in the future, that door is open.

Spryte, I'm so sorry this happened between you and your friends. How awful.

I might try, maybe through texts at first. Not sure yet.

That's a good explanation. I think my friends are trying to make sense of (what they perceive as) the scariness. Of course the cult bubble just magnifies that. Another woman (more of an acquaintance) is also deeply into this. She's divorced with grown kids and I think she's trying to fill up something inside. I think it makes her feel important that she has "inside information". After she posted something particularly hateful on FB I called her out in a private message. She responded that she'd been researching for YEARS and I probably hadn't so I just didn't realize. Poor PrairieSong. A while later I unfriended her because she would not stop the hate and nuttiness, and I'm not close to her anyway.

We have been friends with a married couple for years, though we haven't seen them much lately. We both homeschooled but our kids are all grown. Our dd who is friends with one of their daughters told me that they have fallen down the Q rabbit hole. They are in deep. I am so disturbed and sad. I'm not wanting to discuss the conspiracy theory or politics here. I just don't understand how this happens to otherwise intelligent people. We were thinking of reconnecting with them but now, I don't know. If you've had family or friends get involved in a conspiracy theory, how did you cope? Did you try to keep up the relationship? Did you listen to them talk about the craziness or was that off bounds? I'm grieving the loss of the friends I once knew and don't know if it will ever be the same again.

Really? Hmm. When my dad passed away and I had all his mail forwarded to my address, I still got TONS of junk mail. I made dozens of phone calls to be removed from those mailing lists. It took a while, but eventually it stopped. I still get something for him every six months or so. A lot of his junk mail was for places he'd donated to or purchased from, so maybe that is the difference. To me it was still junk.

I haven't been here in a while and saw a couple notifications from activity on this zombie thread. No more unexplained footsteps in our house, but I did learn several months after the incident (I'm the OP) that the original owners' son passed away a few months before I heard footsteps at night. He was in his 30s. 😞 I know many sounds have reasonable explanations, but the footsteps that night has baffled me ever since. We've lived here since the mid 90s and have heard our share of house noises, wind, etc, but this isn't a very creaky house. I'm not saying it was a ghost or anything supernatural. I saw nothing. But I know exactly what my husband's footsteps sound like when he's wearing shoes, walking from the front door across the living room and into the dining room and kitchen. It was exactly like that, and it was very close, starting just a few feet from me outside the open bedroom door. Just so odd.

I hear you! We have frequent Sunday dinners with our grown kids, their spouses, and grandkids. One is vegetarian with a dairy allergy. Another doesn't like very spicy foods and one of the grandkids doesn't eat rice. I've edged into the pre-diabetic category and am supposed to be low carb but I'm balking at the idea. A few things I've come up with: 1. Breakfast bar with scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit, toast or biscuits. 2. Taco bar with beans and meat separate. Taco shells, flour tortillas (you could get low carb), avocado, salsa, cheese, shredded lettuce. 3. Pasta with meat sauce, salad. I put lots of veggies in the sauce and keep some without meat for the vegetarian. I'll be following along for more ideas!

Also, our daughter is in a religious order who cares for the elderly poor. They have lost many residents (here in the U.S. and in many other countries) and some of the sisters as well. I called a friend last summer whom I hadn't talked to in a few years. She is a nurse practitioner and when I lamented that a family we know was not being careful around their 90-something mother/grandmother, she said, "Well, she's in her 90s. She's going to die of something!" I was speechless. Yes, we're all going to die of something, but I thought of my daughter and the other sisters who have been trying so diligently to protect the elderly in their care. I don't get the cavalier attitude. Shouldn't we do what we can for others?

My dh and I have had both doses of the Pfizer. Many friends and family have been vaccinated. I live in an area where many downplay the virus, but I also personally know three people who have died from it. Some of our kids and two of their spouses, all healthy young adults, had COVID in the fall. One very fit daughter who runs half marathons got so out of breath that she called 911. Another daughter, also young and healthy, has had long term effects...shortness of breath, chest pains. A friend's daughter is a long hauler and has had daily low grade fever and extreme fatigue for FOUR MONTHS. A young man we know is fighting for his life, on a respirator and an ECMO machine. All of these young people are in their late twenties to mid thirties. I know many stories from other people who have lost loved ones or know long haulers. When we got the first dose, we both had sore arms and I had a few days of vertigo/dizziness. It resolved itself, and my doctor said it could have been the vaccine but he didn't know for sure. After the second dose, our arms were more sore and I was really tired the next day and took a nap. But that's it. I'd do it again and endure a few days of dizziness to protect myself, those I love, and society at large. I'm not downplaying vaccine hesitancy, especially if it is due to allergies or other medical conditions. I don't have any underlying conditions or allergies, so I'm that much more motivated to help protect those for whom vaccination poses more of a risk.

She does have other people in her life: husband, grown daughter, grandkids, local friends. I don't know exactly how she is doing, but the relationship was so lop-sided and awkward that I am not motivated to try again. I guess I feel dumb for letting this relationship continue for years, even if it was less and less over time. I thought of her as needy and odd but I never connected it to a possible personality disorder. Even if it is not that, something about her is off.

I think you are right about COVID. I called current friends to check on them. If I received a letter/email from an old friend, even from childhood, I'd think it was fun and would probably write back. I would not reach out to someone who unfriended/blocked/denied my follow requests on social media. For sure I wouldn't text them! Oh well.

I do appreciate your thoughts, but if I sent her anything resembling the very kind message above, I think she'd grab onto the fact that I'd shown her kindness and keep contacting me in the hopes that we could re-establish communication. She hasn't taken the hint previously and I don't think she would now either.