A few years ago I had the privilege of being invited by my very good friend to a spa event for insurance attorneys. I was quite excited, looking forward to a long weekend of foo-foo pampering, all being paid for by my sweetest of sweet friend!
One evening at a dinner, the conversation somehow riveted to politics. And I quickly learned I was the lone conservative among a thriving ambush of Liberal attorneys. Their voices rising exponentially, their fingers pointing, they stood over the table and literally screamed at me because my views were contrary to theirs.
Despite the fact that it was fifteen against one – they felt threatened enough to make it clear that they were hyena’s and I was a squirrel.
Actually, I left the table in tears and attempted to find a flight out of this ‘paradise’ as quickly as possible. To no avail.
I would say it was my very first experience being attacked by what I would call ‘ a coven of witches’. I was amazed that while advocating for tolerance and goodness and sweet kindness towards all, that they would convene in such a vicious way against me simply because – I disagreed.
The experience obviously remained with me because of its intensity. But worse, my good friend who had invited me, remained a mute fixture, and refused to defend me or come to my rescue, leaving me devastated. When I left the room at a run and immediately got on the telephone trying to find a means of escape, she didn’t come to me, console me, and give me a supportive arm, instead she chose to remain with her colleagues, afraid and embarrassed that she was associated with the – enemy. And thus, she aligned her priorities.
Years later, I slowly, came to realize exactly the extent to which our friendship was so very superficial. Why did it take years? Because I have a slew of friends all embracing different ideals, but I did believe that friendship was a core value. And unfortunately, I was proven otherwise.
To blame this disparity on Trump is so false. Why? This instance occurred during the Obama administration.
To be sacre-religious, at that point Trump was only a twinkle in God’s eye.
Since then, naively, and with much ‘stupidity’, I slowly came to realize that my friendship was built on a foundation of sand, and however hard it was to recognize, it needed to be – accepted and I need to – let go. So hard. We had known each other for decades. Since junior high. And yet, there was so very little – else – in common.
I think the point is the fact that this chaos is most certainly NOT a newly created agenda, it has been in the making for decades if not more. I was talking with another friend about the focus of the hiring in the work force and how that age preference is between 28 and say 36. Her immediate response was ‘no’ because look at the lazy millenialls.
In fact, the ‘lazy millenials have been a source of discussion since 500BC when Plato lamented at the immoral, unethical, youth generation who talked back to their parents and had no respect…
In other words, this is a complaint of each and every generation for thousands of years. What make each successive generation different, what makes the Liberals strike out at the solitary figure amongst fifteen? Degrees. Anarchy.
The sexual revolution is measured in ‘degrees’. Today, a woman enters the this or that festival wearing a sheer drape. Or nothing. It is the same. A woman is measured by how young she looks despite the fact that she is quite – old. It is the same as thousands of years ago, it is only the degree’s that have changed.
Everyone has a story. But sometimes it is very difficult to see beyond our own and see the devastation wreaked upon others…
Don’t shutter yourself inside your self.
Imagine the story of the veteran? Imagine the imagery day in and day to, the nightmares, and then think of you own pity and compare… Your life will be transformed…
As will theirs, if you are willing to take a moment…
This post came back into my mind a few times, probably because I have been in situations where I have defended a friend whose beliefs are different from mine.
If people with the same beliefs as me attack any of my friends, I will defend friends to the hilt.
If I found out later that a friend was not as good a friend as I thought they were, I would have no regrets. Loyalty to friends comes first, always.
Worse if the anti-Trumpers are family members. We find a way to get along, though, we work AROUND that stuff. But in my case, my wife and step-kids would still defend me against someone else’s truly vicious accusations.
The insanity they come up with! BUT one step-son LOVES the USA. He’s super-opinionated (more than me!) but he was all in for the things Trump talked about. However, about now it’s disillusionment starting to set in. Why would we are anybody think he could actually implement those promises? Now we ask what does he know. That son’s wife is also more aware. One good local family friend happens to be Cuban. Cubans here are more Republican than Republicans, in part because they blame JFK. Menendez of New Jersey is a strange bird.
One point in Trump’s favor is that maybe he’s being cautious with one eye on JFK’s memory. Hard to tell, though.