I don't think have any enemies. I hope not. But I have been thinking that it is very smart to get to know people who don't think the same way I do. I tend to put a lot of thought into my opinions. I read a very lot, (most everything except science fiction, romance, and fantasy) but I have tended to hang out with people who think along the same lines as I do. This season in Nicaragua I have gotten to know all these Texans, you see, and with the exception of Tucker, they have been seriously Bible Belt, Tea Party conservatives. It has been interesting.
It's been a bit like seeing a common object under a microscope for the first time. This experience has broadened me. I am not talking about hanging out with insane pigs like Rush Limbaugh or Glen Beck. I am talking about ordinary nice folks who might as well be talking in a language I don't know.
Years ago, in Guatemala, I met a very cool high school boy who had been home schooled his whole education. He was bright and fun. But during the conversation I realized he had missed some things by being home schooled. He had never stood in line. This might sound dumb, but there is something about not having to wait your turn that might give a kid a bit of self importance that might not be matched in the big world. The other thing was that he never had his opinions challenged. He read materials that supported his way of thinking, always. He never had that teacher who was a liberal if he was conservative or visa versa and therefore never had to read stuff he didn't agree with. As an adult, I have been doing the same thing.
What this winter has taught me is that it is much more important to discover our common humanity and work from that than to intellectually try to be right about everything. I am not saying I don't speak my truth. I do. I am saying that I have found that if you start with what you can agree upon, and a bit of respect for the other person's humanity, half the battle is already won. It is possible I am learning about diplomacy.
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