It’s ridiculous how grown people argue (or worse) with abandon over political entrenchments, seeing the one who disagrees as an enemy. God, help me not do that, because it can be a slippery slope.
It’s okay to disagree as long as it’s done with respect. It’s okay to present a different perspective, as long as we are willing to listen to different perspectives. There is always some kind of common ground where we can meet each other. It might be hard to find, but it’s there. When we find our common ground, whether it’s children, music, dogs, caring, or just being human, we can begin to work together.
Thanks to Lauren for today’s #JusJoJan prompt: “ridiculous.” Just jot it January is brought to us by our host, Linda Hill. For more info, visit Linda’s post HERE.
Our prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “opposites.” Use the word “opposites” or write about things that are opposites. Have fun!
It’s a good topic. Thanks, Linda. Though yes, I know, it’s a prompt, not really a topic in the SoC world. I don’t really believe in opposites. Oh, I know they exist – up/down, in/out, black/white…. But most things are somewhere in the middle. I don’t really like the opposite ends of the poles. We have enough polarization.
You might say, “but middle of the road is boring.” I don’t mean we all need to be smack dab in the middle. There are lots of colors in between black and white. Lots of places between up and down. It’s all relative. A person can be an antivaxer and still be a good person. Like maybe they like dogs for example. Dogs are a great uniter. I know people on the other end of the political spectrum from me who like dogs. It’s a bit baffling, but then, dogs are great. Unless you’re one of those people who don’t like dogs which I don’t understand. But maybe you have some good quality that I like or can relate to.
They say opposites attract. I’ve written about that before, about how David and I are opposite, or very different in some of our personality traits. But opposite isn’t the best word for that. We complement each other in that he is more of an extrovert, very practical, precise (except when he uses sarcasm which I kinda hate) and not very imaginative when it comes to seeing dogs in clouds. But he has a lot more energy than me, we both love dogs, and he’s learned to like Mama Cat. He’s a good guy. We have similar values when it comes to spirituality, politics and lifestyle.
Going back to in or out, maybe we want to sit on the fence, though that is not always comfortable. If Santa comes down the chimney, I hope he doesn’t get stuck in the spiderwebs. Yuck. That happened in the Hobbit movie. (Spiderwebs, not Santa coming down the chimney.) That’s one of the parts I don’t pay much attention to till the Elves come. I always watch the elf parts. What does that have to do with opposites? Are elves and dwarves opposites in LOTR? (The plural could also be dwarfs.) They are very different, but they fought together against the orcs. I don’t watch the orc parts either, until the elves come.
The point is, we can always find some kind of common ground whether it’s dogs, or fighting the dark side…. But what if someone is on the dark side? They probably don’t know it. Or maybe they do. Darth Vader was on the dark side, but there was still good in him, and the good won.
Speaking of good, I should rap this up and wish you peace on earth and good will to all, as in everyone being blessed. God bless us all, everyone!
Here’s Sam’s speech about there’s still good in this world, and it’s worth fighting for. Not fighting with violence, necessarily, but fighting to find the good, working for peace, or just putting one foot in front of the other, or giving a kind word of encouragement.
For more Streams of Consciousness, rules, and such, visit our good host, Linda Hill by clicking here.
We have much deep healing work to do in the United States. The tension that has been building for years has revealed itself at the level that I hope it wakes us up. What might help us heal as a nation and ultimately, as a human society? Here are a few possibilities I want cultivate in my own attitudes and actions:
1. Try to state facts without exaggeration. Don’t twist facts. For example, whole cities weren’t burned down during the 2020 “riots.” Maybe whole city blocks, but not whole cities. State opinions with words like, “I think,” or “I believe….” rather than facts. It’s a fact that Joe Biden was confirmed as the next president of the US. If you believe there was voter fraud, that is an opinion that was not substantiated by the courts.
2. Be respectful. Resist the urge to resort to name calling or write things that will increase division. I can resist the urge to “like” posts on social media that reinforce division. Try to speak and write words of healing and understanding. Part of healing can be to express our feelings and grief which can include denial, fear, and anger. Can we express our feelings without tearing down those that feel and believe differently? Yes. We can. it might be a challenge, but we are writers. We can figure it out.
3. Look for common ground. We can do this as individuals, asking questions for understanding. It might simply start with a love for animals or nature, or a common hobby, but we have to start somewhere. Look for the bipartisan issues.
4. Support media stories about healing and the goodness of humanity. I know they’re hard to find, but good news happens. Encourage media to make healing a priority. Ultimately, it’s up to each individual to make healing a conscious effort, every day.
5. Find the courage to change the things we can, namely, our own attitudes and actions. Ask questions with the goal of understanding rather than debate. We can find the bridges that unite us, places where we can meet each other – sometimes in the middle, sometimes compromising at different points along the way.
For more information on healing division, visitBraver Angels.
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Today’s prompt for Just Jot January was “twisted,” so I included the word “twist.” For more on JusJoJan, visit:
Today’s SoCS prompt is to find a word that starts with the letter, M, and base our post on it. At least that’s what I remember.
The word I’m going with is, Miracle.
I looked it up before I started typing this, because I was curious. The word comes from Latin among other languages of origin meaning “wonderful.” Some people think “wonderful” is overused. It’s one of my favorite words, and I’m going to use it whenever I feel like it.
We need some miracles in the United States and across the globe. Miracles seems to have to do with divine intervention, but there can also be an element or factor of manifestation, another M word.
It felt like a miracle when my high school sweetheart found me 39 years later when the timing was perfect. But I also worked hard to manifest a partner who would be compatible, while taking into account God might want me to stay single, and the compatible partner could have ended up being my dog.
I believe we will be successful in at least quieting Covid 19 and maybe even squashing it. Will that take a miracle? Maybe to get people to take precautions like distancing and wearing masks. But that brings me to a bigger concern: the political divide in the US.
It will be a miracle when we learn to listen to each other and accept our disagreements with respect. I am not neutral on very many subjects, though there may be a couple. I have made it clear on my personal FB page, and maybe slightly less clear here on WP, who I support for president. But I try not to call people names, like “idiot.” Though I occasionally give descriptions and might make a comparison. Here’s a hint of what I was watching Thursday night along with the debate.
I won’t say who Smaug reminded me of.
But I also try to post positive stuff and good news more often.
We need a miracle to bring our country together. And I don’t want it to be an attack from outer space. Let’s NOT manifest that. We need a miracle of understanding, compassion, and willingness to consider other points of view.
I admit, that if my candidate loses, I will be devastated and afraid. Very afraid. But I would like to be understanding, of my neighbors at least – the ones with the TRUMP banner in their yard. I have often shied away from intense political debates, though not in the format of Braver Angels where respect and listening are key components.
Right before I sat down to write this post, I listened to a podcast on NPR about this guy who is riding a bicycle across the continental divide of the US. He’s a journalist and wants to talk to Americans in rural areas. It’s called Facing West by Nate Hegyi.
One thing that stuck with me from this podcast was that Nate said we have more in common than we think and need to pay more attention to our own backyards (or neighborhoods) rather than the national politics to see the common ground. What I’m thinking that means is having, cultivating, grace and acceptance for my neighbors, even the ones with the T…. banner.
I’m reminded that one of my former colleagues used to say, “acceptance doesn’t mean you have to like it.”
We must have some common ground, even if it’s sharing the same sidewalk and living on the same street. I know my T banner neighbors like (or at least tolerate) trees, because they have a big magnolia tree in their little front yard. They also have dogs. One thing I’ve noticed is that a love of dogs seems to transcend politics. I only have a cat for now, but I will always love dogs.
Maybe dogs are part of the miracle. They don’t care about politics. Certainly cats don’t care about politics. They teach us to be in the moment, here and now.
Stream of Consciousness Saturday is hosted by Linda G. Hill. For more streams and SoCS rules, visit:
Our prompt from Linda is: “zz.” Find a word with double-z in it and use it in your post. Enjoy!
Before I forget, because sometimes I get fuzzy, I want to say THANK YOU to my followers. Sometime in the past month, I passed 3000! Just because I don’t pay a lot of attention to stats doesn’t mean I don’t care. I do appreciate all my followers and wish I had more time to visit all of you.
Funny how things happen when we’re not watching like the pot boiling. Seems to have happened in the US and around the world. The pot is boiling. I can get dizzy watching the news, so I’m on a break right now from the news. But I am watching Just Mercy, finally, as I type this on Juneteenth. June 19th is the celebration of emancipation when a union general went to Galveston, Texas to enforce and reveal that slavery had been abolished more than two years earlier. You can read more here.
Anyway, I finally watched Black Panther. Now I’m watching Just Mercy. Powerful! I don’t stream or do netflix, so I watch what’s on TV. Have to get up early, but I had a nap, so hopefully I’ll be able to watch it all.
I was going to write about jazz hands, but Juneteenth and Just Mercy are important, so I needed to get that in, too. Jazz hands are waving, dancing hands I learned about Thursday night watching a Braver Angels debate on zoom. Braver Angels is an organization seeking to depolarize America. I know you might be thinking, good luck with that. They do workshops on communication skills with the goal of listening and understanding people who believe differently. Thursday night’s debate was about the proposal to “defund” the police. The main thing I got from this was that “defund,” is a confusing and misleading term. A better word would be, reallocate. The other thing I got from the debate was that there was a lot of common ground in knowing that police work is hard as hell, and that most people knew we need police for some things, and that there’s a huge need for reform in policing.
I didn’t speak as this was my first debate and there were about 200 people! But I (we) used jazz hands as the way to express agreement or appreciation. Maybe jazz hands is a regular zoom thing which works well, because multiple people talking on zoom is dizzyfying.
Smooth jazz is my favorite for dinner or cooking dinner. The smoother, the better. Like this.
Smooth jazz is merciful. Now back to Just Mercy……
PS. I did finish watching Just Mercy. Cried at least twice. The last time were tears of joy. It’s based on a true story and memoir. If you haven’t seen it, please do.
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For more zz streams and SoCS rules, visit Linda Hill at:
There are multiple stories about people of different faiths and nationalities coming together for iftar, the meal eaten after sunset during the month of Ramadan. To be honest, I don’t know much about this holy time, but I’m learning and very hopeful that people from diverse backgrounds can come together in peace. Seeing this happen means it can happen again. Even when we believe differently, there is common ground. We can find it. Peace is possible.
There’s plenty of good news -Personal, local, or global. Please feel free to share in the comments!
These four year old girls understand that they are more alike than different.
Aren’t we all?
What might the world be like if we learned to recognize the vastness of our common ground while cherishing our diversity?
In other good news, today is my birthday! I’ve been breathing air on this beautiful planet for 62 years. My how time flies! I hope to go for a walk this afternoon and get pad thai and basil rolls for dinner tonight tonight. 🙂
What’s your good news? Feel free to share in the comments.
“Black lives matter, because all lives matter.” __Bishop Michael Curry
Presiding Bishop-elect Michael Curry of the Episcopal church gets things moving. He has the power to unite us, to help us find common ground.
I’ve had the privilege of hearing Bishop Curry speak on two occasions in his role as the Bishop of North Carolina. Sometimes, Episcopalians can lean a little toward the intellectual. Bishop Curryspeaks from his heart of love with power to shake up the intellect and infuse us with the Holy Spirit. I’m excited and hopeful about his election as the Bishop for the Episcopal Church of the United States. I’m not at all surprised that he won by a landslide.
I ask that you watch this powerful five minute video of the newly elected Bishop Michael Curry speaking at the Bishop’s march “Claiming Common Ground Against Gun Violence” on June 28 at the convention in Salt Lake City:
“So walk together children. Walk and change this world.”___Bishop Michael Curry
Opposites do attract. We’re often drawn to partners or friends who have qualities we lack. This can be a good thing, up to a point. If there are too may opposites, there’s going to be trouble.
When we were dating (for the second time) my husband confessed, “I’m allergic to fun.” I thought he was kidding. He works hard and is hard on himself. I can understand this, but my desire for myself is to have more fun. We had lots of fun when we dated, getting to know each other again; the butterflies and excitement of falling in love tends to make us giddy and overlook things.
Fortunately, we also asked a lot of questions to find out if there were any deal breakers. To find out if there was enough common ground.
But back to the opposites. He says he is not artistic. And he’s not when it comes to free flowing things, improvisation, dance, playful art. I am more artistic. He is more precise. I tend to be scattered. He is more focused. (I’ve come to believe that’s mostly a guy thing.) He is great with numbers, me not so much.
I love to sing. My husband stopped singing in his late teens after being ridiculed. When we found each other again, he didn’t sing at all. But he’s been working on this for a couple years, and now sings in our church choir with me. He knows how I love to sing and wants to be with me enough to overcome his fear of singing. He’s also overcoming his fear of swimming in deep water due to a close call a long time ago. I love to swim. He was a fire fighter and pilot, so he’s not at all afraid of heights like I am. I get motion sickness at the drop of a hat. But when he gets a chance to fly a plane again, I’ll be there with him, right after I take my Dramamine.
I used to be addicted to TV and movies. My husband doesn’t watch TV and rarely goes to movies. But he did like Interstellar which we saw together. It’s a good thing I took my daughter with me to see Wild. And there’s no way he’ll want to go see Into the Woods. But that’s okay.
Even though opposites attract, similarities are necessary for a happy, long lasting relationship.
My husband and I both love dogs. We like to grow things in dirt and eat healthy. While we both partied plenty in our younger days, we’re now conservative in our lifestyles, though not our beliefs. We are responsible, frugal and conscientious. We believe in giving back to the community. We search for meaning in spirituality. We’re both Christians, but we’re open minded enough to respect the beliefs of others. We respect each others differences. We listen to each other. We both like garlic.
These are important similarities. Without them, it wouldn’t work.
And it’s working quite well.
This week’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday Post was the word: “opposite.” If you’d like to join in the fun, visit:
1. Your post must be stream of consciousness writing, meaning no editing, (typos can be fixed) and minimal planning on what you’re going to write.
2. Your post can be as long or as short as you want it to be. One sentence – one thousand words. Fact, fiction, poetry – it doesn’t matter. Just let the words carry you along until you’re ready to stop.
3. There will be a prompt every week. I will post the prompt here on my blog on Friday, along with a reminder for you to join in. The prompt will be one random thing, but it will not be a subject. For instance, I will not say “Write about dogs”; the prompt will be more like, “Make your first sentence a question,” or “Begin with the word ‘The’.”
4. Ping back! It’s important, so that I and other people can come and read your post! For example, in your post you can write “This post is part of SoCS:” and then copy and paste the URL found in your address bar at the top of this post into yours. Your link will show up in my comments, for everyone to see. The most recent pingbacks will be found at the top.
5. Read at least one other person’s blog who has linked back their post. Even better, read everyone’s! If you’re the first person to link back, you can check back later, or go to the previous week, by following my category, “Stream of Consciousness Saturday,” which you’ll find right below the “Like” button on my post.
6. Copy and paste the rules (if you’d like to) in your post. The more people who join in, the more new bloggers you’ll meet and the bigger your community will get!
Anything is Possible! 