* It’s sometimes very difficult when you have completely different political views than those of your spouse. I actually knew that going in. At the time, the things we hold dear together trumped the differences, and they still do. But… .. there are days when we shake our heads, try to reason and change the other’s mind…. then bitch and moan more than a little if I’m being honest here. In the end it still comes down to one vote voiding the other. I understand my spouses point of view, I get where he’s coming from… I just can’t abide it… it’s not in me to turn away from my belief that there is a better way to treat people in society, a road toward more equality, less war mongering, more peace. Both parties have “issues”…. but only one, the way I see it… still stands for “the people”…ALL of the people…
* My heart aches for my home town, Staten Island, NY. The devastation was unthinkable just a few weeks ago… now, a reality for so many families. You know that train of thought “Oh, that doesn’t happen here”. Oh yes it does, yes it can, yes… it did. These were not wealthy shoreline communities that Hurricane Sandy demolished. Staten Island’s most prominent citizens are blue collar workers, the backbone of the NY workforce. Teachers, busdrivers, firemen, police officers, waiters, waitresses, secretaries, nurses…. Their waterfront homes are not beautiful second homes or heavily insured mansions.. they are modest homes, cottages and apartments, townhouses, affordable living complexes. They’ve lost EVERYTHING, which by some standards may not have been much, but contained their whole world.
A testament to the true grit that are Staten Islanders… they were and are helping each other, even before FEMA or Red Cross arrived (days later). There are food drives and clothing drives, baby food, diaper and formula drives… people are offering their heated homes to those without, folks are gathering in the streets armed with garbage bags, brooms and bleach, to help scrub neighborhoods they don’t even belong to… it’s amazing… a renewal of faith for me in humanity. And can I tell you this?…. FB.. has a valuable place in this world, I have a new respect for it. It has been a lifeline for people who had no other way to connect with loved ones, and it’s been a gathering place and announcement hall for all these collections and drives. Awesome.
* I loved your entries in Project 24.. thank you to all who participated. We will certainly do this again.. I’m thinking Christmas Day. Are you in? Then look for a post about a week or two before Dec. 25th and we’ll get it going. I’ll need 23 of you to pick a time slot.
* Have you seen the movie “Game Change”? No big surprise for me, but enlightening just the same.
* Why did I get a spam e-mail in my inbox the other day for Seniorpeoplemeet.com ? Are they trying to imply something??……
– Just sayin.
You covered alot here 🙂 i bet tuesday u and mike will be in different rooms :)and im in for the christmas 24 let me know when i need to pick my time. Have a great day
Regarding your wonderment at seniorpeoplemeet.com, I get daily emails about a certain enhancement product. I am clearly a woman. 🙂
I'm in for the Christmas Day project 24. So much fun.
Yes, I saw Game Change. I know all of that to be true, but I hate it just the same.
And Karen – I was married for 23 years to a Republican. We tried very hard to not think about how our votes cancelled each other out and concentrated on the fact that at least we WERE voting. It worked. Mostly. 🙂
I think it is a testament to your relationship that you can have vastly differing political views but still respect one another.
And it is refreshing to see people helping people when a disaster like Sandy strikes. Each time our area has been hit by a hurricane we have all come together to help rebuild what has been lost. I hope that people in the areas hardest hit by Sandy will continue to work together so that they too can return to their "new" normal!
Kat
my husband and i have x'd each other out with votes at times.
i get those damn 'senior people' things too. *harumph!*
Politics and voting comes down to trust… and when a candidate changes his stance on an issue every other day it's impossible for me to trust them. David and I stand on the same side of the aisle in politics so it's never been an issue for us, but to be honest, we don't really discuss politics in our household much anyway.
My hubby and I cancel each other out too… and he is distraught this year… I think I will get up extra early to go and vote and come back home and put my pj's on and maybe it'll quell the impending disgruntlement… ha 🙂
Your photos continue to portray a heroic recovery effort in the works- stunning and real and heartbreaking all at once. Still praying…
I don't talk politics with the husband! Too frustrating…
and well, I get marrymesugardaddy.com in my inbox!!! LOL! No thanks…
My Mom and Dad used to cancel each others vote, too.
My thoughts and prayers are with those trying to recover from the devastating effects of Sandy.
Well, I'm a senior people and don't get those. 🙂
The devastation! And, I really don't know why it took so long for FEMA and Red Cross but like you I'm humbled by the generosity of humanity we're seeing.
I'll vote tomorrow, and there's no one here to cancel mine out whatever it will be. However, and I don't usually talk politics; I'm still teetering on the fence because I'm trying to figure out who really IS for the "people" and not their own agenda. On the one hand, we have thousands/millions of people who are on government aid, and who's to say they are or are not entitled; only they know for sure. I do believe though it has become more "easy" for people to receive the aid than ever before.
Then, we have a rich man who says he knows about "business" yet we hear stuff about how that went!
So, anyway I'll have to sleep on it tonight!
(forgive me if I said too much) I luvs ya, you know that!
We may have another storm on the way to us in the northeast, although it should be much smaller than Sandy! Richard
Thankfully, Bob and I are on the same page – YOUR page! If it's any consolation – my daughter's 5th grade Language Arts class had a presidential vote and our guy won! 13-8. Hopefully Weekly Reader is on to something. They have held a student election every year for 52 years and in 12 out of 13 presidential elections, the students have chosen the actual winner!!! LOL!!!! Wahooooooooooo!!!!!!
PS – I am IN for the 25th!
If you'd like another, I'd LOVE to be in! The idea of people from all around the world joining forces to show how we all live our lives in a 24 hour period is simply brilliant!
I love your honesty about living with someone of a different political persuasion. Challenging for sure, but you guys seem to be able to respect and love each other even so. Bravo to you both!
I have friends who have opposite political parties so I hear you on this one! And I would love to participate on Christmas Day in the early morning. Fun.
Joe and I used to cancel each other out all the time…. we'd compare our choices and sometimes decide it wasn't worth going to the polls because it didn't matter!
But now that he's retired, he's swung back over to "my" way of thinking…. Hallelujah!!
I have no words for the devastation that is Sandy. I can't imagine your heart break for your old home neighborhood. The images are hard to look at I know. But the human spirit is beyond words. But why does it take an act of nature, God, devastation for us to treat each other with compassion and kindness and wanting to look out for each other? I guess I'll never know but seeing the musicians and ABC journalists (I use the term loosely) raise money for Sandy relief and the responses of other fellow citizens continues to warm my heart.
Donna
I had a girl in my office this past year that said she loved it because now she could just stay home, not hae to work and have more kids to get more income. Something is wrong here…..
My hubby and I have cancelled each other's votes in the past but we won't this year-
How is that Seniorpeoplemeet thing working out for you?;>) xo Diana
Just another great post Karen. Your words are right on concerning the people of Staten Island, they may not have had much, but they lost everything. So sad, but it is amazing how people do pull together during times like these. It happens all the time and it's great.
The republican/democrat household, now that would be interesting..I'm not touching that with a 10 foot pole.
And seniorpeoplemeet? I'm thinking their speaking of 4th year high schoolers.
And project 24, Christmas Day, I'd love to have that 2 am slot again.
You remind me of my parents…my mother always made sure to vote in order to cancel out my father's vote:) No problem in this house though:)
I got spam in my email the other day that was something like disgruntledwivesfindsomeoneontheside.com – LOL!
Thankfully, my hubby and I are on the same side of things, but our parents are not. We just ignore them though 😉
We usually cancel each other out as well…but this year, I think the husband is just as frustrated as I am. He'll probably end up voting his traditional vote…simply bc there's no better choice, but me, I still don't know. We have two teenage voters this year as well…one will vote against "tradition" and the other is scared to death and not sure who to vote for. Neither the husband nor I have tried to sway their votes…they have to learn to make their own decisions on politics along with everything else in their lives.
Our parents, on the other hand, are die hard party voters…and would probably vote for Satan should he decide to run on their party's ticket. We ignore them too…no need to cause a rift in the family over politics.
Karen,
Good post. I'm with you. My husband and I are on the same page but some of my dearest friends are not. This election has been most difficult. So much hate in the name of God.
Carol
I hope everyone got out today to vote. It's all about choice and we are so blessed to have this privilege. I sure enjoyed taking part in the last post. I'm in…hope I can get noon again! lol
My heart goes out to all those people who lost their homes.
Brenda
I could never marry a man whose principles clashed with my own. It is more than mere "politics"…it's life. I have a low tolerance for Keynesians or people who force others to adhere to their political beliefs under threat of incarceration. I studied economics and political science in college. It is my passion! I am a strong believer in individual freedom. Period. The emotions of many have destroyed so much with their good intentions. You know what Marx said about that!
On the other hand, it is nice to see people voluntarily do good for others! It is proof that we don't need an incompetent nanny government to force us to "help" those TRULY in need!
I thought that movie was one of the scariest movies I have seen in a long time. My husband and I vote differently too. I can only shake my head. We agree to disagree.