I don’t know how my BFF of over fifty years voted or how she feels about most issues of the day. Do you know why? I don’t care. Our relationship is based on shared interests, sense of humor, and genuine appreciation of each other. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if I needed her she would be there in a heartbeat. She has my back, she laughs at my stupid jokes, and she is a constant I wouldn’t want to be without in my life. That’s all I need to know.
I have no idea what candidate or cause du jour my next door neighbors support. I don’t care. Our relationship is based on forty years of looking out for each others animals, keeping an eye out when one of us is away, and handing Christmas cookies over the fence in December. Our major concerns are sharing the cost of replacing a common fence or wondering whether the nearby levee will break in the winter storms. They are good neighbors that share a love for our little community. That’s all I need to know.
I haven’t a clue the political party of choice for most of the people with whom I shared my work environment for over 30 years. I don’t care. They are hard-workers with a love of the horse and of the outdoors. They all share equal grief in the loss of a friend gone way too soon or joy in each others success in the sport. That’s all I need to know.
Here’s a thought…maybe the things others contribute to our lives; sense of humor, Christmas cookies, love of animals, or whatever floats your individual boat, should start having equal standing with the bunch of power-hungry people that only care which box you check on your ballot. Maybe actions should once again take center stage over words. Maybe we should spend more time on appreciation of each others strengths and much less on anger over sound bites and protest mantras. It will take work; anger is easier but the reward of finding the good, the actual good, in those lives that intersect with yours, even though they may not think as you do, is immeasurable.. It’s just a thought.