Onward And Awkward
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onwardandawkward.bsky.social
Onward And Awkward
@onwardandawkward.bsky.social
3 followers 3 following 25 posts
I mash up religion, history, politics, and pop culture into comics. Expect nerdy deep dives, weird facts, and reflections from a survivor of Christian fundamentalism, suntan pantyhose, and tragic haircuts.
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onwardandawkward.bsky.social
Growing up a sheltered Christian 80's kid meant trying to absorb pop culture through social osmosis. And just like osmosis, it doesn’t actually work. Here’s a story about The Karate Kid & my lifelong plight as the weird little outsider who could never quite fake it. #Exvangelical #KarateKid #1980s
August 10, 2025 at 6:35 PM
onwardandawkward.bsky.social
Most people spend their free time binge-watching prestige dramas. I spent mine reading about a virus that is 99.9% fatal and as old as The Evil Dead curse. It felt productive. open.substack.com/pub/onwardna...
I Didn't Get Rabies. But I Did Lose My Mind.
There are two types of people in this world: those who worry about normal things like taxes and cholesterol, and then there’s me.
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August 3, 2025 at 2:19 PM
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A Proposed Season at the All-New Kennedy Center for Authoritarian Arts™
Time’s a blur when the world keeps inventing new ways to burn, but if you remember, just this past Wednesday—after a long week of sending Marines to L.A.
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June 15, 2025 at 12:50 PM
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An Open Letter to All the Countries That Used to (Kinda) Like Us
E is the original author of this essay.
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June 1, 2025 at 12:05 PM
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Technically, This Is Rest
Vacation planning always seems to start the same way: you get bored with your couch.
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May 25, 2025 at 3:04 PM
onwardandawkward.bsky.social
I couldn’t find awell-documented breakdown of how HBO's "The Righteous Gemstones" is basically every Sunday morning in America, so I made one myself.

You’re welcome.

And I’m sorry.

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“The Righteous Gemstones” Guide to Real Church Drama
Anyone else mourning the end of HBO’s The Righteous Gemstones?
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May 21, 2025 at 2:19 PM
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Mother's Day Musings from a Childless Cat Lady
J.D.
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May 11, 2025 at 12:40 PM
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A Room With a View (of Me on the Toilet)
Last fall, E used her Marriott points to book us a hotel for our NYC trip—because we’re fancy like that, but also…not.
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May 4, 2025 at 5:52 PM
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The Everglades Can Suck It (and They Did)
Our first Florida camping experience
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April 28, 2025 at 3:31 PM
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The Real Horror of "WALL-E" Isn’t the Trash
Okay, maybe I shouldn’t admit this, but sometimes when my brain is on autopilot—like when I’m folding laundered doggy pee pads or Zillowing houses with bomb shelters—it just hurls a random movie into ...
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April 13, 2025 at 1:57 PM
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I Saw Amy Poehler and Tina Fey Live, and All I Got Was an Existential Debt Spiral
My partner and I feel obligated to see any half-famous artist—musician, comic, or rogue puppeteer—who’s brave enough to say, “Hey, maybe America shouldn’t be such a dick all the time,” and have the ga...
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April 6, 2025 at 4:25 PM
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onwardnawkward.substack.com/p/the-origin...
The Origins of the Religious Right that Helped Trump Win His First Term
Things are more nuanced now then when I first created this.
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February 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
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How My Mother Fought, Won, But Ultimately Lost the War Against Hollywood – Part 1
My mother was a devoted patron of religious radio….
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February 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
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How My Mother Fought, Won, But Ultimately Lost the War Against Hollywood – Part 2
“So that’s it…???” You might ask.
onwardnawkward.substack.com
February 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
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The Preacher’s Wife
When I was in high school, my father was asked to pastor a small mid-western church, so we dutifully packed up our lives and migrated.
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February 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
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The Falcon Has Landed
My parents brought home a humble income, which meant that everything we did was on a budget… including Christmas gifts.
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February 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
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I Was A Child Grinch (part 1)
When I was four years old, I really wanted a dollhouse.
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February 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
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I Was A Child Grinch (part 2)
Guest Post:
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February 28, 2025 at 3:07 PM
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NintenHo Ho Ho!
Guest Post (Thank you, J!)
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February 28, 2025 at 3:06 PM
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I Was A Child Grinch (part 3)
Guest post (Thank you, T!) :
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February 28, 2025 at 3:06 PM
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My Sunday School Guide to Gay
When I was a kid, my church boycotted Disney…
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February 28, 2025 at 3:06 PM
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The Illustrated Guide to the War on Christmas
t’s almost that time of year!
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February 28, 2025 at 3:06 PM
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Decking the Halls
My mother always had an artistic vision when it came to decorating.
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February 28, 2025 at 3:06 PM
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Less Me, More Wiener Dog
My ex and I have fostered rescue dogs for nearly a decade, so we felt confident we had experienced the full spectrum of trial and horror that could possibly accompany most challenging dogs.
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February 28, 2025 at 3:05 PM