The center of all things.

When I was young I learned that I was not the center of things in my life.  Though my family loved me and gave me many gifts, I never felt more special or important than anyone else in the family and always felt that my parents were the “most important” members of our family for what they knew, what they had done and what they provided to us children.  Even as I grew older and went out on my own to start my own family, they always still had this slightly exalted position in my eyes.  Not that I agreed with what they said or shared all their values, but they always seemed to have earned a higher status, again in my eyes.  Then I look at my children and see them as the center of their own worlds.  Yes they love their parents and even at times respect our opinions and seek them out, but they were raised to be the “most important people” in the family. By that I mean not that they were directly told that, but that they were always the center of what we did and why we did it, with few exceptions.  They had rules and were expected to be good, but they were placed at the center of the family.  I didn’t do it because I read it somewhere, but I just felt that that was what should be done.  So where does that put them now?  They are young adults, insecure in many ways, still trying to figure out how to live and who to listen to.  They are not that much different than I was early in my adulthood.   They will be fine

Putting it Out There

My friends, I do post political stuff on occasion, I try not to do name calling unless I back it up with facts or it’s really funny, but mostly I talk about issues like the minimum wage, gun issues, income inequality, health care, education costs and current social issues that mean something to me.  I normally put up a thought or page I have seen that made me think about the issue and look into it further.  I really try to think of the impacts on both sides of the issue and what each side’s knee jerk response and then look at it through my life and values and then kind of ask what others think. 

 I often get back positive and negative responses, but as long as they are thoughtful and not just a regurgitation of talking points, or not backed by actual history or facts.  I respect your opinions, but when I see the actual words on my page from NRA, CPAC, GOP stuff I have seen elsewhere, I wonder if you have really thought it out yourself.  I know, I am a progressive, liberal, democrat, commie or whatever label you would like to put on me for a position I have taken.  Once you label me that, you stop listening and just look for a place to pounce with your carefully crafted talking points that cover no new territory and show no desire to have an exchange of thoughts.  You may not know this, but there are people paid by parties to troll the internet and throw these talking points on discussion pages when they see anything progressive expressed.  See if you can get a job there, but my posts are for thinking people who want to examine, not for you to express yours in total contrary.  If you feel a need to do that, just post “Wrong” and we will know how you feel.  If you continue to say it I will eventually ignore you.  I know, censorship, but then you can label me a facist, nazi, racist, powerhungry, dictator and it will make about as much sense. 

 Life is too short to yell at each other, so instead of telling me I am an idiot to believe what I do on my own page, ignore me as well.  But if you do, I wish you well and hope you will find peace in your life.