Rocky wanted to go to Confession after work and since it was the first of the month there was a long line. An old man loudly wanted to know which confessional father was going to be in because he didn't want to wait long. Rocky explained to him that he didn't know. Fr. X is usually at the confessional Rocky was standing next to so he was guessing that's where the priest would be. The old guy wasn't satisfied. The line and the uncertainty agitated him. Finally I got up and stepped outside to call the rectory. As it turned out Fr. X had an emergency and couldn't hear confessions anyway. The old guy was still unhappy and vocal about it when we left. We'll try again on Saturday.
Movements and national consensus don't happen or change overnight. We are now reaping what was sown several decades ago. The worm always turns, things go so far in one direction that human nature requires a course reversal but most of the people who longed for or feared the change are dead when it finally happens. Back in the 70s it was considered cute and spunky when women reporters insisted on being in men's locker rooms, girls demanded to go to all male colleges, and women wanted membership in even private male clubs. Now, a naked man can be in the locker room with women and girls. Teen boys and men are winning at female sports and until a girl gets seriously injured on national television or men dominate in female events in the Olympics, they will continue to do so. I'm sure nobody saw that coming back in 1972.
A few weeks ago I saw a video of a fight between two girls in a restaurant. Multiple people asked where the men were to stop it when one of the girls started losing badly. I wanted to know what cave these people have been dwelling in for the last 60 years. Women have been declaring that they don't need men and while I'd say that up until the 90s most guys just brushed it off, an increasing number of young and middle aged men are saying "okay" and "bye" and are minding their own business. You can call them wimps, losers or whatever insult you can think of but you won't be able to call them for help.
