Growing up we always heard at the dinner table, “how would you act if you were invited to The White House for dinner? Where are your manners?”
The Brothers and I would roll our eyes, and keep stuffing our faces, with {gasp} elbows on the table, till one night, TC announced that we really were going to have dinner at The White House.
I can still see that smug look on Maman’s face as she just stared at the three of us, probably thinking, “that will teach you, you little f-ers.”
Like most things, that sound super cool and swank and fabulous, it’s really not that big of a deal. Nothing ever ends up being as cool or even as “elite” as it may seem from the outside. People are still people. Doing their normal and often times, boring, day to day things. So don’t go thinking The White House is any different. It’s not.
I mention The White House, because, with another election year upon us, I feel compelled to bring up the political talk. But don’t get your hopes too high up — I’m not going to dissect the lefties and the righties. Sorry, TC. Doubtless he’s a bit disappointed.
I grew up in a heavily influenced political environment. I’ve mentioned TC is/was a lawyer, but not the kind I associated the word with. He never litigated a damn thing, though I have zero doubt he would have rocked in a courtroom.
His specialty was banking. Not to brag or anything {but I’m totally going to, hey,it is my Papa}… he singlehandedly wrote {because it definitely isn’t the senators and congresspeeps who do the writing on these things} over 300 banking bills and was solely responsible for getting both parties united on passing the largest banking reform bill in history. Also pioneered and written by him. It also almost killed him, but that’s another story.
Yes, it’s more than a little intimidating having a father whose just that smart. Especially because I’m not. What I mean is this : no, I’m not stupid. But I’m no brainiac either.
Mainly because those sorts of things never interested me. Like I was going to devote extra study hours to history and science and excelling at shit I could care less about? I think not.
Thankfully my parents were relaxed about school and grades and never placed a strong emphasis on succeeding scholastically. I still did, but there were certain things I had to work for {ahem : math} and I always knew my talents rested in other areas. Like French and my prowess for communicating and connecting with others. Too bad the latter one isn’t an actual course.
So with TC all involved on the political {Republican – there! I said it} scene, we were of course, biased. How could we not be? One of the many things I have always respected about my dad, he never was and isn’t a radical, far right type. He has always been extremely balanced in his views and voting.
He’s all about government assisted programs to help the less fortunate, women’s rights and we both share the same belief that no one should be able to tell anyone else how to live their life.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking and considering what I see and how I see What You Be becoming. One of the things I have decided is: no politics. After I’ve just discussed politics … nice, huh?
I don’t want to go there. I just don’t. I used to be very into it, very into all the issues. I’m not anymore. I find it to be a lot of name calling and mud slinging that I’m just not cut out for.
The Democrats berate the Republicans for the exact same things the Republicans are berating the Democrats for. It’s finger pointing and so many endless circles. I don’t believe either party has all the answers, nor that either party is inherently bad or wrong.
In fact, I think that if people could disarm each other and stop trying to one up one another, they’d see they have a lot more in common than not.
And that’s something I want to see with What You Be … a coming together, from all walks of life and beliefs … a safe place, a relaxing one, where we don’t have to worry about the name calling and trying to rehash “injustices” or focus on the negatives of what’s wrong or isn’t wrong with our President.
A place where we can see how much we truly are the same, that we can lift one another up. A place to remember that we’re in this together, as in not against each other but with each other.
It’s a small thing, really. That totally sounds like I’ve gone Pollyanna on your ass. And I have. Because I not only believe it, I know this, somewhere in my soul … I feel this truth.
This thing is not random. We are in this together. Politics or no politics. Republican or Democrat or Unitarian or whatever the hell you call yourself. I don’t care what it is, I just care to see you.