Somewhere in between...

On my journey between home, classes, and work, I encountered a reoccurring theme that I need to address. I find that putting my thoughts down on paper, or on Word, helps me realize what I'm really thinking, so here it goes. This post goes out to all who are trying to find balance in a deceptively unstable world.

And so begins my list of grievances:

1. Republicans are not racist, homophobic, uncaring about the poor, mean-spirited, selfish, or intolerant.

2. Democrats are not communists, atheists, lazy, or all leeching off the system.

Stereotypes destroy and separate. So, to all of my readers who think they’re politically involved and informed, but are really just subscribing to the phenomena of “group-think,” get it together. Quit blaming it on the poor, the rich, the Muslims, the women, the Jews, the men, the blacks, the whites, the Mormons, or whomever you’re out to scapegoat next.

To incriminate someone for believing in something that you don’t believe in is wrong, no matter where you’re coming from. Oh, and clumping everyone into one group just to make them easier to attack is unreasonable and detrimental to democracy.

What it comes down to is that Republicans have good values and Democrats have big hearts. They disagree, and I wouldn’t dare say that there’s not such thing as a right and wrong way to behave or conduct policy, because that simply isn’t true. Still, American extremists on both sides need to quit blaming the other and thinking that if only their enemies were gone, then the world would be a better place. It wouldn’t.

This struggle to find the best way of doing things is why I love American, and why I’m planning on getting my dual-citizenship as soon as I can afford to. America believes in diversity of race, religion, and opinion. Both sides, no matter how different, have something of value to offer, and to accuse the opposing side of destroying the nation is petty and childish.

Having grown up in Boston, MA, I was regularly ostracized for not fully endorsing the liberal mentality. I’m sorry to those who were offended by me, but I believe that making abortion federally legal will have far too many negative repercussions on society. I also believe that marriage, a religious ordinance and sacrament, should be respected and upheld as such: between husband and wife. However, I find no problem with civil unions which allow homosexual couples the legal rights that a married couple are entitled to under the federal government.

Can you imagine being a 15 year old sharing this with her friends? Oh, I was accused of being and believing in so many things that weren't simply true. I thought that when I moved to Idaho, to attend my very conservative university, I would be better accepted, but I was wrong. I found that I didn’t fit into this end of the spectrum either because I don’t believe that state funded health care will threaten democracy. I think Obama is a great father, singer, and kudos to him for quitting smoking, even though I don’t agree with all of his policies. Oh, and I want to have a family, a huge one, which will always come first, but, for me, that does not mean that I will stop pursuing my education.

So there… neither extreme has it right all the time. There are things that I value about all people and all sides, and I can respect them for their efforts in trying to create a better world, so long as it does not impede everyone's ability to do the same. So here I am, somewhere in between, trying to find my balance.

Ode to... boy meets world

Chris and I finally finished watching all of the Boy Meets World seasons, which I began collecting at some point before we got married, and I definitely didn't appreciate this show nearly as much as a kid. As a television cynic, I was pleasantly surprised to realize that I agree with so many of the values it stands for.

Oh, and, yes, of course I rolled my eyes at the outdated "popular" trends in fashion of the day. I recognize it never was as witty as Friends or as engaging as Lost, but the wonderful quality I value in this series is its grasp on reality.

For instance, Boy Meets World is a show that freely allows its characters to be real people, who make real mistakes, and have to pay real consequences. It's a show that teaches that while, yes, you can do whatever you want and no one will stop you, you will also have to deal with real consequences. As I watched the series this time around, one of my favorite episodes is one where Shawn, a rebellious teenager joins a cult of teenagers that promotes the idea that anyone who makes any judgement is intolerant, and doesn't really care for you. Shawn, a great kid, by the way, begins to distance himself from his best friends and family members because they are "judgmental." At the crux of the episode, there's this great scene where Mr. Feeny, the voice of reason in the show and the greatest teacher of all time, snaps at Shawn, letting him know that in life, it is necessary to make judgements in order to get anywhere.

Making a judgement is not the same as being judgmental. I thought that was such a fascinating concept because I have always struggled with this concept myself. Many of my best friends have made decisions that I felt were damaging to their lives: maybe it was dropping out of school, smoking pot, staying in an abusive relationship, or pushing loved ones away. I always hesitated to interject because I was always terrified of being accused of being "judgmental." Still, as I watched this episode, I learned something in a deeper way than I had ever understood it before. I learned that real friends care, and that while is it never acceptable to ridicule or humiliate, real friends make judgments, and they let their friends know they care and want them to stay out of trouble.

I love this show, because it's real. It's taught me that life is made up of real decisions, and the people who truly care are also real, and they make all the difference.