Interesting because this has taken me back to what I have come to learn about my past & my parents actually being excluded by society. Their logic for the reason in reality FAR from the truth of what happened & why.

I'm my parents case they excused it away because they lived too far from the church school & didn't have enough money to put me into the private school. Looking back & having observed the way my Dad argued (no discussion involved) with the men of the church when they did include them.....activities when the whole church was included. I was always embarrassed to death to be anywhere my parents were. I'm assuming that what embarrassed me was probably the same reason they REALLY were on the EXCLUSION LIST. I realize that was also why my parents had NO friends except one couple they would get together with once a year.

I have my idea of what was the cause of my Dads behavior beyond it being similar to his Dad's but less obnoxious.

In their case they were Actually isolated from society because of both their mental state though in their case they deluded themselves into believing that wasn't what was going on while in reality is was society reaction to the way they really were.

Being an only child I relate to playing games by myself but it wasn't because the neighbor kids were leaving me out....because I totally enjoyed playing baseball, fort, climbing fences with the guys in the neighborhood & they included me when kids were out playing....but because I didn't know how to be a part of any group or how to really be included in, that was basically my school life. I was the outsider to every group but it was my independent choice & the groups accepted me as being that way & even voted for me in class elections & activities I was involved in.

It hasn't been until the last few years of my life that I have now felt totally accepted by the wonderful people in the many groups I'm involved in....all unassociated....& it was scary the first time I was listened to for what I have had to say, I forgot what inwasntrying to say because I was so used to conversations going on without me.

Life can change with time & all of a sudden we realize it's no longer like it was....most time it takes us to make changes in our lives for change to happen.....no way to psych the brain into believing something that really isn't happening except the way my parents did & excuse it away on something that really wasn't the cause. Better to be open & honest with self & learn how to make the change you really want in your life.