For the past few months or so, I have managed to fast from talk radio, politics, and everything related that used to get me all worked up. Occasionally I hear snippets, and of course I have to keep up on legislation affecting the tax code; however, for the most part I steer clear of the spin from either side. I have to say – it has been great.
Now, I must admit – I have had a lot of distractions lately that have made it easier to avoid politics, but overall I do not miss it at all. I haven’t given up on my political beliefs, but I no longer feel the need to take up the defense or argue with people. In fact, now I get kind of sickened by the political rants spewed by people on Facebook and blogs. You have liberals calling Glenn Beck and conservatives bigots, racists, and everything in between while glorifying themselves as enlightened intellectuals. Then you have tea party conservatives railing against the immorality of liberals, while also glorifying themselves. When you take out the issues and just listen to the language and the attitudes, they are are both saying the same thing. It is all about lifting yourself up by finding a an “enemy” in an stereotypical opposing group or cause. It is outright narcissism on both sides and technology has only amplified the disease.
No, I am not becoming a liberal or a feel-good moderate. I still am very much a fiscal and social conservative. Honestly, I have just been through some very humbling experiences the last few months with the house deal falling through, the stupid deer incident, family members losing jobs, and most recently the re-emergence of a certain hated disease in the family. Seriously, it has been one thing after another and it has taken me to some lows that I have not felt in awhile. It gave me a lot of compassion, made me appreciate what I did have, and made me appreciate people more.
I have very staunch liberal friends and I also have very conservative, religious friends – take away all the political crap we spend too much time talking about and they are all great people. I just wish the liberals could stop the intellectual elitism and the conservatives would stop trying to legislate morality. Maybe then we could all relax for a bit, enjoy a good drink, and talk about things that actually matter.
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