Disclaimer, I love my pops. But we just don’t see eye to eye on some things.
Family dinners seem to always have those really strange moments where the conversations everyone wants to avoid somehow become the topic of the hour. Attempting to eat your mothers’ notoriously messy spaghetti becomes simple as the one topic we typically hide from creeps up next to our silverware – Politics.
It’s traditionally expected for children to hold similar views and beliefs as their parents, but, for some of us, this couldn’t be farther from the truth.
If there is anything I hate talking about more with my dad, it’s politics. Don’t get me wrong, I think politics is one of the most important things to talk about. However, politics – specifically with my dad – is something else. The amount of times I shake my head at how completely ridiculous I think his argument is, is a little too embarrassing to count. At some points, I’m offended. Other times I’m annoyed. And yes, I confess, sometimes I am a little disappointed.
I wish every political conversation consisted of progressive thinking and sound reasoning. Instead, I’m greeted with what feels like a mental food fight when comments of the election are dropped in the midst of dinner talk. Surviving family dinners gets a little harder when one side of the table would gladly talk to Donald Trump and the other side of the table would gladly run for their life from Donald Trump.
I am a young, adult woman kicking and screaming for human rights, universal health care, environmental needs and pushing for education. He is a traditional conservative that kicks and screams for a whole different set of needs addressed by politicians. He’s one to criticize the government “hand outs” to people who live from one “excuse” to the next. Don’t even get me started on our views on gun control.
I think he might altogether disown me if I told him that although I’m proud to be an American, I think America has volumes of progress to achieve. I believe the constitution is outdated and needs to be changed. He believes it is the law of the land. (Yikes….)
But alas – it really puts a lot into perspective for me. Coming to terms with different opinions is a key to maintaining relationships. In the same way some of his beliefs infuriate me, it also makes me an individual that not only has learned to compromise, but is well-rounded and knowledgeable on things I particularly do not believe in.
Most importantly, my conservative pops has taught me that I can love someone who I disagree with on a lot of things. I would say I’ve pretty much mastered co-existence thanks to him.
I can walk into a room of conservatives and feel confident that I can defend my point of view. I see opposition to my view and I don’t feel rage that they aren’t liberal. I see my pops, who I love dearly, and I’m reminded that politics should be a discussion – not a standard of human interaction. (Thanks, pops).