This Weekend's Survival Task
This weekend I must show great fortitude. It is my grandmother's birthday and Mom is having a black-tie affair to celebrate. Tuxes and gowns. Heels and nylons. Now, the problem is not my grandmother (at least that's not the subject of this post) though she is, shall we say..., an aquired taste. Rather, the problem is my grandmother's friends.
The last time I encountered this particular group of individuals was at the Kentucky Derby party. Mint Juleps all around, a drink not just for little old ladies! Anyway, these are some particularly opinionated people. I know. I fall into that category myself. But there is a huge difference between us and so I shall endeavor to explain.
First off, let me just say I tend to fall into the category of Conservative. I believe small government is good government. I am probably a Libertarian if everything is considered, but I call myself an Independent. Why? Because I think a lot and want to make decisions on issues, not because the party says so.
These friends of my grandmother tend to fall into the Liberal category. And I have no problem with that, per se. To each his own. However, I do have a problem with their antics and the pushy way that they behave.
I was raised to think things through. I was raised to discuss politics and learn from debate. A group of minds is always better than one working alone, etc. Blah, blah, blah. From a very tender age I was encouraged to have an opinion and to be able to back it up. That has made me who I am today.
At this party, however, I encountered a woman, let's call her Madge, who was doing her best to beat the opinion out of a "youngster".
Post derby, my cousin who is 15-some years younger than I, made comment on somthing somebody else said. I forget the opener. This young man's comment was something akin to "I support President Bush and the War on Terror."
Me? I was interested in his views as he is significantly younger than I and I like to know what people are thinking.
Madge? She said in a sharp voice, "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! You don't know what you are talking about! That man is The Hitler of the Millenium! You should keep your mouth shut until you are better informed!"
I admit it, I wanted to punch her. Not so much because of her politics, but because she was abusing this young man and trying to stifle his dissenting opinion. Her attack on him was personal and mean-spirited. Maybe at the age of 65+, 15-year-olds seem ill informed and inexperienced. However, I'm sure my cousin would find Madge to be computer-illiterate. In three years my cousin will be a voter and Madge will be no closer to discovering the electronic world. Who is she to judge? Is his opinion no less significant because of his age? What would AARP say if the shoe was on the other foot?
But I digress. I wanted to put this woman in her place...but I didn't. I have a hard time controlling my temper when I see injustices like this and I was a guest in my grandmother's home. I have been working for 2 years now on self-restraint and diplomacy. I wouldn't want to embarrass my grandmother by making her guest appear the idiot, so I waited until the offensive Madge left the room. Then I told my cousin that he was perfectly entitled to his opinion, that it wasn't stupid, and not to let Madge bother him.
But he won't be there this weekend and Madge likely will. I cannot be held responsible if she comes gunning for me! Daddy taught me to shoot my attackers, both literally and figuratively, though with different weapons of course!
Just give me one good reason and I'll debate her, but good.
(Names, of course, have been changed to protect the innocent and the guilty.)
Labels: Birthday
