Teacher, mother, writer, wife, academic, friend. . . trying to juggle all the pieces without losing any.
Monday, July 02, 2012
In other news. . .
I often think that I was switched at the hospital as I often am unable to understand my family's religious, civic, and political beliefs. I will now go build lego houses with my children, whom I do understand.
ha! I was just complaining to my husband last night because my mom's religious beliefs have shifted--she's becoming what she accused me of being as a teen (a closed minded Christian...I'm the total opposite now, more agnostic than anything) and I just don't get it. Where is it coming from? It seems most of the people I went to HS with are like this too...which I never realized as a kid. oh well.
I've known for a long, long time that my religious beliefs are vastly different from those of my extended family. I still struggle with how different my political beliefs are though. I try really hard not to be an elitist academic, but seriously. When I realize that my average family member is regurgitating misinformation propagated by Fox news I go into elitist academic mode and start posting all sorts of links to reliable sites to try to help them educate themselves. It NEVER works. I'm invariably accused of being a socialist, and you know, I sort of am a socialist. I am realizing at 36 that building lego houses with Wild Man and Bear is a much more productive way to spend my time.
Yeah, I just cut to the chase and say I am a socialist because it's easier. To steal from my dad "What exactly is so wrong about everyone having [health care, education, fill in whatever FOX and friends are mad about]?"
I thought I was switched at birth from a very early age. But the truth is when I was old enough to listen I decided I didn't have a choice about who I looked like, but I didn't have to be like that person. But as I aged this meant constant rifts about being myself versus this person's outlook, and nothing about that relationship has been easy or comfortable.
I have problems with people swallowing the news or talk radio, letting some talking head or their church think for them. it is disturbing that people will trust some jerk who's warning them about boogeymen that exist among peoples they have no personal issues with. Why don't they suspect the jerk doing the talking? is he wearing a Jesusfish, is that it? are loud people right?
I really think (white) people need to watch the "old bitter hater" mode they seem to default into as they age. That is to say, if they weren't in "bitter hater" mode to start with. No one likes being around an old bitter hater. Even other old bitter haters.
4 comments:
ha! I was just complaining to my husband last night because my mom's religious beliefs have shifted--she's becoming what she accused me of being as a teen (a closed minded Christian...I'm the total opposite now, more agnostic than anything) and I just don't get it. Where is it coming from? It seems most of the people I went to HS with are like this too...which I never realized as a kid. oh well.
I've known for a long, long time that my religious beliefs are vastly different from those of my extended family. I still struggle with how different my political beliefs are though. I try really hard not to be an elitist academic, but seriously. When I realize that my average family member is regurgitating misinformation propagated by Fox news I go into elitist academic mode and start posting all sorts of links to reliable sites to try to help them educate themselves. It NEVER works. I'm invariably accused of being a socialist, and you know, I sort of am a socialist. I am realizing at 36 that building lego houses with Wild Man and Bear is a much more productive way to spend my time.
Yeah, I just cut to the chase and say I am a socialist because it's easier. To steal from my dad "What exactly is so wrong about everyone having [health care, education, fill in whatever FOX and friends are mad about]?"
I thought I was switched at birth from a very early age. But the truth is when I was old enough to listen I decided I didn't have a choice about who I looked like, but I didn't have to be like that person. But as I aged this meant constant rifts about being myself versus this person's outlook, and nothing about that relationship has been easy or comfortable.
I have problems with people swallowing the news or talk radio, letting some talking head or their church think for them. it is disturbing that people will trust some jerk who's warning them about boogeymen that exist among peoples they have no personal issues with. Why don't they suspect the jerk doing the talking? is he wearing a Jesusfish, is that it? are loud people right?
I really think (white) people need to watch the "old bitter hater" mode they seem to default into as they age. That is to say, if they weren't in "bitter hater" mode to start with. No one likes being around an old bitter hater. Even other old bitter haters.
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