Maybe It's Only My Opinion

The 3 things we're not supposed to talk about : money, politics & religion.... Elections are tomorrow. They encompass all 3 of these topics, don't they? Since it's on the brain, here goes.

1.) I like money. Who doesn't like money? You need it. That's how you buy what you need. There are things people need, for instance, food, shelter, & clothing. I think I was actually taught in school that those 3 things, in fact, are all anybody really needs. Everything else is a want. I have to disagree with that. Oh, don't act surprised! You knew I would! Those of us in colder climates, we also need heat. It's November 1 & it was 31* when I sent my children out to the bus. It's cold. Even the arctic tribal people made fires, didn't they? If they could find something to burn, like whale oil?

2.) I don't like politics. Surprise! In this country, we're blasted by the 2 big parties saying that everything is black or white, right or wrong, conservative or liberal, right-wing or left-wing, Republican or Democrat, our way or their way, us or them...& that us or them thing turns into us versus them. Personally, I'm middle of the road & independent & I have cast my ballot for both parties for various reasons. And the thing that supposed to be so great here in the USA, that we all get to vote & we all get our say...irks me when people who have no idea what is really going on get as much say as people who are informed. If you really don't know the issues, you are part of the problem. And people who are so tired of the stalemates & the filibusters & the 'game' of politics & the lies, well, they just don't vote at all. I'm ok with everyone not agreeing on everything (I mean, that's ridiculous a concept, isn't it?) but I get irritated when people spew blatantly false information & supposition as though they're on the inside track. Obama is a Muslim! Bush just went to the Middle East to try to finish what his dad didn't! I seriously can't abide it when it is so easy to disprove. This is the age of information, people! Look it up! I recommend you don't believe everything you randomly hear in that vague land of Somewhere. Make an informed decision & do your civic duty. Complacency certainly won't change anything, & no one is really 'above' such a privilege.

3.) Religion....that's where things get mighty tricky. Let's put it out there. We're all biased. Nobody can prove anything. It's conjecture or mythology to some. To others, it's comfort: the truth, the light & the way... It's faith. It's belief. It's tradition. It's community. It's bigger than we are. Hundreds of years of war haven't made people see the same thing the same way. How can people ever agree on one belief when even within many a given religion, there are multiple sects? Scientologists aren't the only non-God religion, & then of course, the atheists & deists don't see one at all. I've come to the conclusion that I don't really like religion. I do not have a problem with anyone's spirituality. Really, that's like saying you can't like yellow. But religion itself...that's really political. There's a corporate ladder in organized religions & then the various centers for worship have their leader, their moral center, who then becomes a community leader who then influences politics &  finance... It's a slippery slope.

The passion 1 person can show when discussing his or her beliefs about any of these 3 taboo topics can be immense. I've been known to fall for the bait & get entangled before I realized....People get mad. Oooh, yes, people like to be right! Hey, I do too. I'm totally human. (I had a Psychology teacher open class once with the statement, "The mind had 2 goals: survival & to be right." That has always stayed with me.) I can agree to disagree about any these things. But fair warning, I'm never going to be won over in politics with a religious argument, nor will I be converted or open to changing my opinion in any argument that starts with the phrase, "The Bible says..." unless we're literally arguing what the Bible says...& then you'll have to show me & prove it, because I'll argue my right to my opinion, but I won't argue a fact unless I am absolutely 100% sure of my facts.

It really is a 'live & let live' country we're in. Don't bother me & I won't bother you. Wouldn't the world be a boring place if we all thought the same things all the time? I like that we're different. We'd lose all creativity & productivity! How could there be a next great insight or invention? I think everything would be beige... which is great when paired with absolutely any other color in the universe, but pretty dull when flat beige is all there is....

Ain't No Maybe About It....

I am a witch with a capital B.

I embrace it. My husband claims that is what he first liked about me. Yes, he said that. He can't take it back.

nananabooboo

He likes my sarcasm & what he calls my wicked sense of humor. That's his nice (& he's not all that nice himself) way of saying that he likes it when I rip on people. Here's the truth: I can be a bitch. I think that's different from always being one. I'm sure there are some who would disagree with this concept & with whether I'm always one or not. Too bad. It's my blog & not theirs.

I think I'm actually a pretty nice person, but that will change if you mess with me or my kids. And if I don't know you &/or you look or have proven to be stupid, all bets are off.

Take something minor for example... Recently, I have noticed that a slew of people I know are suddenly 'liking' a bunch of stuff on facebook. That's ok. I 'like' stuff too. I do take issue with who is saying s/he likes some of the stuff s/he claims to like. I hope you follow me. I'm not going to use names, but if they are reading me, I hope they recognize themselves & 'unlike' some of their 'likes.' (I don't think anyone to whom I refer actually does read me, but if so, you can take it up with me & we'll talk it out.)

Person number 1 -& again, I like this person, but I think she may be confused- recently 'liked' Sarah Palin, Being Conservative, God & Glen Beck. Really? REALLY?! Because this woman is a thrice divorced bartender & it doesn't seem to mesh. I'm not picking on her bad luck or bad taste in men. I'm not mocking her personal pain. I'm not opposed to earning an honest living as a bartender or server (did it myself for many years) or anything like that. I'm not faulting of what I know so little. I'm not even being snobby when I say these things just don't fit together. This is according to Webster's. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conservative

2-a : of or relating to a philosophy of conservatism
b capitalized : of or constituting a political party professing the principles of conservatism: as (1) : of or constituting a party of the United Kingdom advocating support of established institutions (2) : progressive conservative

3-a : tending or disposed to maintain existing views, conditions, or institutions : traditional b : marked by moderation or caution c : marked by or relating to traditional norms of taste, elegance, style, or manners
 
Conservative as a noun has an ever so slight difference. It's connotation is political.

1-a : an adherent or advocate of political conservatism b capitalized : a member or supporter of a conservative political party

2-a : one who adheres to traditional methods or views
 
That usually implies cuts to so-called entitlement programs (including Social Security & Medicare) & tax breaks for the wealthiest citizens & big businesses...which I completely understand if you are wealthy or own a big business or are even employed by one. You may not ever need your Social Security or Medicare. But a bartender is usually not wealthy nor is the bar or restaurant usually under the umbrella of big business. It just doesn't mesh.
 
Certainly anyone can 'like' God & I can't criticize that...& I don't want to waste my energy on that hypocrite Sarah Palin or the bigot Glen Beck. But you see where I'm going...
 
Person number 2 has similar 'likes' but has 3 children with 3 different mothers & that doesn't speak of conservative or Christian values to me, though I do indeed find him to be a pretty great guy. He's reasonably intelligent, financially successful, funny & friendly. I'm just not sure that either of these honestly nice people understand the conflicting points with who they are versus who they either think they are or who they want to be.
 
Now I did say this blog wouldn't be a soapbox for my politicial beliefs, so moving on...Here's another super example: Someone I am friends with on facebook (& that distinction is necessary because apparently, we would never be friends in real life) recently had a birthday. I, like many others, extended polite birthday wishes on his wall. I happened to see many of these exchanges in my newsfeed because you will see the actions of the friends you have in common. So I noticed that he was replying to a lot of them, but I hadn't received a notification that he'd replied to mine. No big deal. Sometimes these things are delayed quite a bit. I just went back to his wall & scrolled through looking for my post. WHAT?! Exactly. Who'd a thunk it? Why would that ever occur to me? Yes, ladies & gentlemen, he had deleted my birthday greeting from his wall! Seriously. Un-freaking-real. Apparently, I am so grotesque that he could not have people thinking we were actual friends. It would seem that a little, "Happy birthday!" was more than he could tolerate. Should I maybe apologize for offending him so? And I was not the only one. Oh no, several people who'd made the same wish also had their sentiments expunged. Truly.
 
I ask you, to what purpose? And furthermore, is he so freaking clueless (oh, yeah, I'm going there) that he doesn't realize we can see this? It's like picking your nose at a red light. You are not alone. We can all see what you're doing. Or is he not so clueless, just rude? Personally, I'm not any more fond of rude than I am of stupid.
 
There are many cases of this type of behavior I could cite, but that was the best. He's a champ.
 
Of course, not all of these situations arise on facebook. Certainly not! I do have a real life. Shall we take on the topic of cell-phone manners? I don't know where to start because so few people have them. Not the phones, the manners. There are very few exceptions to these, but the most important one is, if you've never done it to me before, I'll not hold it against you, but if you do it all the time (& thou-who-shall-remain-nameless, you do it a lot....but these aren't all you) I'm calling you out.
 
1-Don't call me 2 seconds away from the drive-through & tell me to hold on while you place your order & pay & then make me listen to you chew & talk with your mouth full. Please? I beg you. I love you, but it's rude. Just call me when you're done.
2-  Don't call me just to chat & then take a caller beeping in 20 seconds after we say hi. If you were waiting for that call, you shouldn't have called me at that time. Call me after you get it & you actually do have free time.
3- If you called me, why are you texting or emailing while we're talking? Clearly you have something else to do.
4- If everytime you have ever called me from this one place, your call drops, stop calling me from there. Wait until you've driven past it to call. It's only 5 more minutes. I know the spot & I remember. Why don't you?
5- If we're hanging out together & you take more than 3 phone calls (unless it is somebody joining us) or even one phone call that lasts more than 5 minutes (unless it is an emergency or a change in plans) especially if you're at my house or you invited me out, then you are being rude. I shouldn't have to tell you that. But I have. More than once.
6- And here's one- If you're already 15 minutes late to pick me up, don't call me to tell me you're on your way & are at the light on street Y, (unless you're really at the light on street Y) because I know where you live & how long it takes to get here from there & from the light on street Y to here....& more importantly, because I have been with you 10,000 times when you have told someone else that we were on the way & had just turned the corner on X street while we were still in your living room. I'm on to you. I'm not buying it. I find no comfort in the fudging of the facts so you can be straight with me. I won't end our friendship over 20 minutes...an hour, maybe. No, but I will be mad.
 
My time is as valuable to me as yours is to you. Just sayin'.
 
7-8-9- & 10- Turn your ringer down in a restaurant, silence it at the movies (& for God's sake, keep your brightly lit screen down if you can't refrain from texting) don't ever put me on speaker, & please, modulate your voice. I can hear you. I promise that I will tell you if I can't. Your not hearing me doesn't equate with whether I can hear you. I've already turned down my receiver's volume as low as it goes. I understand it's loud where you are, but it isn't loud where I am. Ok? OK?! Are we OK?

Hahahaha-Ahahahaha! (That's me cackling.)

So now that I've got that off my chest....we can laugh about it together. I just think we all have our things. And now...I have a broom to fly!
 
Good Lord, you didn't think I'd sweep with it did you? Have you met me? Been here?