Together
Some fine day I will not ever again rise to the bait of beloved family members or dear friends who express opposing political opinions.
Some day I will allow them, totally 100% allow them, their beloved opinions (whether I like their opinions or not.)
Some day you will not hear me defending my candidate, oh no. At least not against your candidate.
I will merely listen to you, fully be present with you, allowing your words to sift down to my heart, like the way we once sifted flour to separate grain and chaff.
Innocence, newborn
Some day 100% peace will settle this heart like a piece of rich apple pie, like Grandma used to make, even though our political views may have been different. Still we could sit at the same table and laugh and eat sweet pie with ice cream, differences more like whipped cream or something extra, not that important.
Some day I will be 100% present with you when you say you like Romney or Obama, when you spew Democratic or Republican love, when you sneer at such-and-so, and I shall remember when I sneered at such-and-so and I will love you, deeply love you, because our similarities of human awareness are stronger than our apparent differences.
Playful shadows
Some day–I’m getting closer now, aren’t you?–we will hold hands, Muslims and Christians, Democrats and Republicans, Conservative and Liberals, sons and daughters, mothers and fathers, children of this Republic of Earth and we shall embrace peace (won’t we? oh won’t we? oh please won’t we?) and our hearts shall allow for everything which once seemed so separate, so unresolvable, so impossible.
Some day, politically speaking, we’ll still speak our mind but we’ll allow for the other too, the impossible other, the other which lives just across the bridge of our limited understanding.
Some fine day.
I dream it so. Don’t you?
Blossom of hope
Lake Superior Spirit 
I dream it too — but still, it is hard to listen sometimes when people are not being fair
“to sleep perchance to dream ah there’s the rub”
It is possible that from this dark place something will come…at least this is how our parents believed when they embarked in marriage, in children, in teaching, in training….
What a beautifully written post. Thank you.
Excellent post, Kathy. I, too, am looking forward to that some day.
I dream it, but I wish I could believe it. People scare me.
We get no where without dreams…
I dream it, but it is very hard to believe during this election season … I really hate politics.
I dream it too..a very worthy dream!
OOOO now seeeeee, if I read it THIS way…it is not so hard to walk alongside. For me the Truths crop up, and while I can still walk alongside, what to do about the Truth. I often wonder if the error is that I do not RAIL the Truth. I also wonder often, how to blend compassion in with that Truth. Compassion can so often seem to fly in the face of it.
I have gone off into that ‘fair’ thing. The fair thing is to be an immovable tyrant, in order to be exactly ‘fair’ and consistent. Anytime compassion then, enters in, one has shown favoritism, and thus has created an environment of ‘less fair’. Experiment with the concept, it’s quite interesting.
You’re speaking to me directly Kathy. Because I “know” my views are the correct views, it’s so very hard to listen to others. I need to interrupt them immediately to set them on the right course, or really on the “left” course … 😉
Hi Kathy,
It’s the Law of Allowing and unfortunately not everyone is there yet. I’ve taken an “observer” stance thru all this political stuff – and much more actually – and therein have found my own kind of peace.
Hugs
SuZen
Amen! (I LOVE the photo of you walking down the road!)
Yes, I do.
Oh how I dream it so, Kathy. Much of what I wrote on my “I Wept” blog (which you read) had to do with this theme. I have felt division grow so much more over the past few years than ever before. It makes me sad sometimes. On the anniversary of 9/11, I wrote on my fb page, “Eleven years ago today, no one was a liberal, no one was a conservative. We were fellow Americans with hearts of Gold who loved each other on a higher level. May we find that love again, without tragedy having to strike.” Blessings to you.
Well (blushing) I’ve confessed to you that I love politics, debate, discussion and that I sometimes allow myself to be shamed for this passion (this one and the football one) because it’s ever so popular to say “I hate politics.” I love observing people who seemed heretofore asleep suddenly springing to life to defend a candidate who is dear to them; to spontaneously express their beliefs in ideals, philosophies – to show me another layer of themselves.
Oh, it is not pretty – so much of it. The cursing, the accusations, the labeling. Sometimes it’s like a roomful of toddlers, learning and testing their voices, the staking of territory: “It’s MINE, and I’m right.” And it’s so easy to turn, like they do, and huff off to a corner, stating: “I hate politics, and I’m not going to play.”
And, yet, I admire those who truly DO detach and who aren’t silently harboring resentments and designing arguments for or against in their minds. That was me, pretending to rise above it, while secretly seething at the hurled insults, the non-researched material spewed forth, etc. I spoke up this year, and am getting braver as I get more feedback now. I don’t want to be mean. I want to be factual. I’m not responsible for people’s reactions; but I’m accountable for what I “put out there.” I think we have a responsibility to NOT be intentionally mean. I’ve learned to not react to the pot-stirrers, as so many are there to detract from the core issues.
I’m grateful that we live in a country that allows for this wide diversity of opinion, belief, thought and that we aren’t punished for speaking (except in our own minds, most of the time, because we’re scared to be who we are). There is so much to learn, to try, to experience. Thank you for a place to express my thoughts today, my friend. Thank you for your thoughtful post! Thank you.
I dream that dream too, although each year it seems to move further away instead of coming closer. I dream of an election where only truths are told – an election only? No! A life, a world where only truths are told, where we agree to disagree but nicely, generously, quietly. Now? Now I try to keep silent because if I do not my frustration will boil over and I will become unreasonable. Although – sometimes things just kind of pop out.
It could happen…
Personally, I refuse to talk about it, or listen to it. I think the voting booth is private for a reason, and I know I will not be swayed in my opinion by hearing the opinion of others in conversation. I do my own research, draw my own conclusions. I give everyone else the benefit of the doubt that they do the same, and that my humble opinion will not alter their vote or change their thinking.
Thanks for a thoughtful post, Kathy!
Oh I do hope so Kathy. My mother believed it would happen when she was a hippie in the 1960’s. My grandmother believed it when she was married.to a man who believed she should have the vote. I will continue the belief and pass it on to my daughter in the hope that one day………
Your dream speaks such a beautiful life. Oh wow! Some day, so many things will be perfect. So much of peace will be within every one’s heart. Some day, we all will be together holding hands. Such a sweet dream, as I shut my eyes for the Sunday night now. And I’m sure, I’m gonna have a lovely dream. Of hope, of peace, of love, of Joy. Thank you Kathy! You are so adorable. 🙂
Let there be peace on earth…….♥
I love the picture of you and your friend walking…in peace ♥
When people have strong emotional attachments to their opinions it’s very hard to listen. It would be wonderful to be able to have impassioned dialog with mutual respect, but event that seems a stretch sometimes. The vision you have described seems a worthy goal. It’s a good think you can be Muslim or Christian or whatever AND Buddhist. 🙂
My parents always had the philosophy of ‘live and let live’, that ‘everyone is entitled to their own opinion’ as long as they do nothing drastic to prove ‘they are right’. If everyone followed this philosophy, there would be less war. Peace would reign and we’d all be much happier thinking about our futures. 🙂
I’m old enough now to have seen the changes of political parties in Australia, Liberal and Labour being the main two parties, and whilst they each have their own ideas, some which we like, some we don’t, I have also seen life go on, regardless of who has the “power”. And that is where I sit in this debate, I believe there is no right and wrong, everyone has their opinions, and their beliefs, both political and religious, and we should respect each others differences.
I long for some day too Kathy, wouldn’t that be wonderful? And if we feel that day, collectively, in our hearts, one day it will be. 🙂
I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.
~ Martin Luther King
I try to hold peace in my heart, Kathy. Sometimes, I’m horrified by this or that, but I still have hope that peace is possible.
I am sticking with you and Dr. King.
Love, always, S
Thank you, everyone, for adding your dreams here…for refusing to let your dreams die in the face of grief or despair, for holding peace in your heart, for listening to your heart, for living the truth that you are. Blessings…to you…to us…to our Universe.
I am not sure that I accept and allow other’s beliefs so much as I just choose not to debate. I feel like most “debates” are nothing more than shouting matches 😦 What I really wish is that people would give up on trying to control other people. Oh do I wish!
Ironically, I dream of the day that I have the words and the courage to stand up to those with the opposite views from me. I am tired of listening to thier “truths” that I cannot possibly believe and not knowing how to defend my point. Someday I will be as smart as my daughter, when did my world turn upside down?
Thank you again, everyone. I loved reading what all you think about these political issues. Blessings and understanding for each and every one of us…
If only. If only.
Thank you…if only…may it be so…
I dream it too, and love it, and dream it. I can now do this with close family and friends. I’m working on spreading out towards the robo-calls and commercials that we are constantly hit with here. Being in a swing state is not easy during elections. Someday I will learn to love that too. (Or move to the wilds of Nova Scotia and never again look at television or answer a telephone. I suspect the first option is more realistic. LOL!)
**love** How to stay in a good place in our hearts when there is soooo much duality? Some day we will 100% know the secret…