I love to write - stories, poems, but mostly, opinion pieces. I would love to write a novel, and still might someday, but for now, I am sticking with poems, short stories, and mostly, opinion pieces. It's the opinion pieces that I get the most satisfaction from, and of course, the crap about. I understand that is the nature of the opinion piece. All kudos would be perfect, but there is no way an opinion piece can be universally well received. I think ultimately I would hate it if all my friends thought exactly like I do. There would be no one to challenge me, no one to force me to carefully consider my viewpoint, no one to correct my grammar! What fun is that? What challenge would there be if it was a world full of kudos? What growth would I experience if no one challenged my point of view?
But it still would be nice if everyone just agreed as though I were some wise soothsayer that had all the right ideas......!
(Kidding, folks, just kidding!)
I grew highly disenchanted with posting opinion pieces on Facebook because far too many crazy people (No offense to the clinically crazy) weigh in from Mars. Yes, I believe some people that comment on my opinion postings are truly nuts. They drink the cool aid from some fountain located in 1955 in an alternate universe. I enjoy a spirited debate. What I do not enjoy, and will not tolerate here or there, is the righteous indignation of the poorly indoctrinated. By that I mean those that spew talking points without any personal thought or real conviction, or points of view supported by racist or hateful thought processes. My blog, my rules. Don't like it? Boo hoo. I want to hear the other side. I want an impassioned dialogue. Those conversations remind me that my passionately held beliefs are no more or less valuable than your passionately held beliefs. They also serve to remind me that there is always some common ground when people with good intentions but differing points of view come together. It is almost always that we want a very similar outcome but differ on the journey. What is missing in today's discourse is that there is no acknowledgement that the other side has a point. But what is also missing is sense of real conviction - don't disagree because some PAC or Brothers Koch has purchased your point of view. Disagree because you honestly and truly feel that way. Be passionate from your heart, and come with good intention. All those things are missing today.
Now that's not to say that my blog will be only current events and politics. I have a wide range of interests, many not so "heady". I love TV. I love sports. I love music. I love theater. I love my friends. I love animals. I am very spiritual. I love music (yes it's worthy of mentioning twice). So fear not, my right wing pals. This progressive has more on her mind than the jackasses that struck down the Voting Rights Act and then acted like freaking DOMA was sacrosanct!
So for now, my non-existent audience, I bid you adieu. I need to figure out what subject to rant and rave about next!
