This morning I talked to Ned's buddy Logan (my new brother) about the elections. It was great to discuss our different but mostly similar perspectives. We talked about how we both were upset by the passage of Proposition 8 in California. Talking politics has been taboo in my family for a long time. With my Republican grandparents especially. I never understood this and always hated this repression. I was always the "black sheep" wanting to bring things up, state a differing view and was always firmly but politely told to shut the f#*% up! It is probably what drove me to discover how I thought about things more on my own and it is also what made my political differences more explosive to my family when they came out, for example, at a family gathering after several glasses of wine! I love talking politics but it is always that initial fear that I won't be understood or that I will shut up that grips me that I have to ignore so that I don't censor myself.
I think my family has changed a lot and allows for more in-depth discussion and that is a good thing. Almost a year ago, I remember talking to Ned openly and freely about conditions in this country and around the world that I felt adamantly needed to change and could change with an active political stand. Even with the way he rushed to change the subject and then change it back again to something else (which I finally had come to understand was his style and nothing personal), it was a fun, free-flowing conversation that involved political discussion!
I know that many people are excited (except for my Grandma who sounded a bit depressed, she voted in the red, sorry for the pun and was in the minority at her senior living facility) about the change in the administration. After several conversations with family and friends, I can say that I am hoping that the level of political interest and engagement stays at a high level so that people really get involved in making real change in our world. When we are not afraid to speak out, have differences and solve problems, we can create even more energy in our lives and improve our communities overall. I know that I would have loved to have been on the phone with Ned today, talking about all these things, discussing the world.
