Heeey Brother,
You're right! People ARE like taquitos! And I want to play too!
People are like taquitos.....because....having an intimate encounter with one at 3am in a gas station parking lot will fill you with shame and regret.......poetry was never really my thing.
I really enjoyed reading your last entry. After I finished it, I turned on the TV and was harassed by an endless parade of NDP and Liberal ads, both claiming to be the change the nation needs. You can't help but notice that these proclamations of change are always pretty nondescript. Because while a massive majority of the country agrees that change is in order, defining what that change should look like can get a little contested. But the main goal of a campaign isn't really to change peoples minds, or win people over from the other 'side'. It's to drive voter turnout with people who agree with you, and convince undecided voters that you're the one they already agree with. And that's because, people don't change their minds very often. We surround ourselves with people who validate our beliefs; we seek out information that confirms the things we suspect, and find reasons to deny any contrary evidence. Even when someone presents a compelling case, we often times dig our heels in like stubborn mules. People don't change their minds easily.
It really wasn't my intention to go on a political rant today...but the election results got me thinking. An old friend of mine messaged me as the results were being reported and asked me if I was still a Conservative. This person obviously hadn't talked politics with me for a while, but I was reminded that when I was 19 I voted Conservative. It took a lot to change my mind - new friends, a lot of books, and a degree in political science. But here's the concerning part - when I was 19, I was positive that I was right and anyone who disagreed was wrong...and I felt the same way a few years later, even though all of my positions had changed! Why? Why was my change of opinion not accompanied with a dose of humility?
I can think of one other example. As you know, we grew up in a religious home. Mom and Dad weren't zealots or legalists. Far from it. But we grew up praying before meals, going to Sunday school and having our mouths washed out with soap when we swore (okay... maybe that one was just me). As you grow up, you start to question your beliefs, and like a game of Jenga, the tower of your faith begins to wobble. The earth isn't six thousand years old? Pull a block! Women can't be leaders?....Pull a block! Wait, virgin birth? Pull a block! And eventually the whole thing came crashing down and I walked away, just as confident with my newly found atheism as I once was with my fundamentalism.
I have this friend... and I don't want to describe her as religious, or spiritual, because I don't know how she'd describe herself. But let's just say, she's into Jesus. I asked her how she reconciled her faith with all of these logical inconsistencies. I was expecting some sort of defence. Maybe "scientists have been wrong before!" or at least, "the lord works in mysterious ways!" But she didn't say any of that. Instead she just said, "yeah. I don't know the answers to all of those questions. And it doesn't bother me much." If that answer had come from someone else, it would have driven me insane. But the thing about this person is, she has clearly figured something out. She is full of joy and compassion and she sees life in colour...so I shut my mouth and gave her the credibility she deserves.
I'm not thinking about going back to church. Or voting Conservative for that matter. But what I am considering, is making an effort to not assume that I know everything. Maybe I could spend less time judging other peoples positions, or trying to change their minds, and a little bit more time being open myself.
Do you have any thoughts about changing your mind?
No comments:
Post a Comment