Thanks for sharing, WingCommander. I've heard your story before, but thanks for posting again for the newbies.
Having grown up in the same circuit, I know that it is rife with cliques and materialism. Many business owners who own not only large homes, but large vacation homes. You work for them, make decent money yourself, or you're out of the clique of the "cool kids."
There's a large amount of pioneers, too, but that's just a gate of exclusivity to keep out the "lesser" ones. It's really just a social club that gives you access to the grapevine of gossip
When I'm visiting my mom and someone from the hall calls, you should hear how quickly her voice changes to a syrupy, fake tone that sounds like the talks at the hall. It's all such a sham. She's always done this. She could be screaming her head off, but would turn on a dime when the phone rang, sounding like the most kind, "Christian" person in the world. But it was play acting and fake, fake, fake.
And then there's the bragging about attending large anniversary parties or baby showers or sales parties where you can buy expensive handbags. Or stories of large groups of people vacationing together in a brother's large vacation home which he deducts as a business expense.
I had it out with a sister about ten years ago because she threw a large anniversary party for my parents and didn't invite us children. Even me who is not currently disfellowshipped. Normal people don't do that. They don't have a large anniversary party for a couple and not invite their children! I held them to the same standard of decency as the rest of the world and threw a fit about the rudeness of it all. They are such morally bankrupt people.