I guess I've always been more conservative than most folks I know. I'm a devout, practicing Catholic now - after being raised but not really practicing the faith. And so politically, theologically, even practically, I'm usually out of step.
And yet I get along with most everyone, from all walks of life. I've been in a room full of Nobel winners and made small talk, have hung out at more biker bars than I can count, been the only white person in a club - whether Hispanic, black or Asian - and never felt out of place in any of them.
And I think it gets to what you allude to here: See folks as folks. Treat folks as folks.
We are all more alike than dissimilar: We're all struggling with life, we're all watching parents grow older, kids grow up, dealing with our changing dreams for life as we ourselves age. Everyone's got family that drives them nuts yet sustains them, everyone's got at least one coworker who make them bonkers, a longtime friend or family member from whom they're estranged and unsure how to reconnect, everyone's got memories great and ordinary, and at least one side-splittingly hilarious story.
The secret to fitting in wherever you are is to simply learn to listen to one another. See God's image in everyone around you.
Those who prefer to live by alternate rules tend to struggle to find peace.
They also tend to be the coworker nobody wants to hang out with ...
I just found you yesterday and shared the article with my husband. Excellent!
I agree with Jim below - just treat people like people. It’s only been recently (and not everywhere fortunately) where it all came down to politics. I grew up in the “don’t talk politics or religion” except to people you know well era, and it served us well. Those things didn’t divide back when everything was about politics. Now that it IS, the country is a sad sad place.
One anecdote about the Obama years. I have had a nonprofit in Uganda for 13+ years. (There are less then 3% mzungus/whites people in Uganda, for context here.) I’ve spent a LOT of time there and other than little kids doing the mzungu dance (which is a positive thing), skin color has not been an issue on either side. (Well, they do think all Americans are rich so I get the mzungu price for things.)
When Obamacare was in the works I was opposed, as well as to some other policies of the time. POLICIES. I didn’t like Obama because he was a Politician, capital P, and not one interested in uniting the country in any way.
I posted a link to an article on my FB and a high school friend sent me a LONG message about how racist I was. Not in a nice - or short - way. When I responded about a) POLICIES not skin color, and b) I work with 100% black people and literally none of us care, she got even more mad and vitriolic. I finally unfriended her - there was clearly no communication or thinking happening. That was my first taste of the educated white woman progressive crazy person. Not my last sadly.
I told my husband years ago that the country was lost as long as we have the internet. It has both exposed and caused severe mental illness, and let people live in tribes of fantasy induced mania. People don’t have to get along anymore, like in the pre-AOL days. I’m a right leaning libertarian - what I *want* is for people just to leave me alone. Unfortunately, you can’t do that anymore!
I just listened to the Megyn Kelly interview. You said you were from Burbank and you were making a lot of sense. I live in Burbank. This made me venture into Substack which I never knew what that even meant before so thank you for your refreshing outlook on these crazy times.
I guess I've always been more conservative than most folks I know. I'm a devout, practicing Catholic now - after being raised but not really practicing the faith. And so politically, theologically, even practically, I'm usually out of step.
And yet I get along with most everyone, from all walks of life. I've been in a room full of Nobel winners and made small talk, have hung out at more biker bars than I can count, been the only white person in a club - whether Hispanic, black or Asian - and never felt out of place in any of them.
And I think it gets to what you allude to here: See folks as folks. Treat folks as folks.
We are all more alike than dissimilar: We're all struggling with life, we're all watching parents grow older, kids grow up, dealing with our changing dreams for life as we ourselves age. Everyone's got family that drives them nuts yet sustains them, everyone's got at least one coworker who make them bonkers, a longtime friend or family member from whom they're estranged and unsure how to reconnect, everyone's got memories great and ordinary, and at least one side-splittingly hilarious story.
The secret to fitting in wherever you are is to simply learn to listen to one another. See God's image in everyone around you.
Those who prefer to live by alternate rules tend to struggle to find peace.
They also tend to be the coworker nobody wants to hang out with ...
I just found you yesterday and shared the article with my husband. Excellent!
I agree with Jim below - just treat people like people. It’s only been recently (and not everywhere fortunately) where it all came down to politics. I grew up in the “don’t talk politics or religion” except to people you know well era, and it served us well. Those things didn’t divide back when everything was about politics. Now that it IS, the country is a sad sad place.
One anecdote about the Obama years. I have had a nonprofit in Uganda for 13+ years. (There are less then 3% mzungus/whites people in Uganda, for context here.) I’ve spent a LOT of time there and other than little kids doing the mzungu dance (which is a positive thing), skin color has not been an issue on either side. (Well, they do think all Americans are rich so I get the mzungu price for things.)
When Obamacare was in the works I was opposed, as well as to some other policies of the time. POLICIES. I didn’t like Obama because he was a Politician, capital P, and not one interested in uniting the country in any way.
I posted a link to an article on my FB and a high school friend sent me a LONG message about how racist I was. Not in a nice - or short - way. When I responded about a) POLICIES not skin color, and b) I work with 100% black people and literally none of us care, she got even more mad and vitriolic. I finally unfriended her - there was clearly no communication or thinking happening. That was my first taste of the educated white woman progressive crazy person. Not my last sadly.
I told my husband years ago that the country was lost as long as we have the internet. It has both exposed and caused severe mental illness, and let people live in tribes of fantasy induced mania. People don’t have to get along anymore, like in the pre-AOL days. I’m a right leaning libertarian - what I *want* is for people just to leave me alone. Unfortunately, you can’t do that anymore!
It's a great thing when a little mistake (staying on the road later than planned) turns into a beautiful, memorable moment that is preserved forever.
I just listened to the Megyn Kelly interview. You said you were from Burbank and you were making a lot of sense. I live in Burbank. This made me venture into Substack which I never knew what that even meant before so thank you for your refreshing outlook on these crazy times.
I enjoy reading your column & appreciate you bringing people together
Oh wow! Such a refreshingly sane, truthful voice. Thank you, Sasha!!