I didn't take insult, or see one. Hmm, but on common ground I would ask what you mean. There are things we agree on and things we agree to not agree on, but accept that disagreement.
My parents are both life-long Republicans in their mid-70s. They feel little connection to the current pary. Their idea of conservative values does not jibe with the current stuff. But, also, they have not one but two gay daughters. When the Republican representitive ran his campaign based on ads attacking his opponents acceptance of gays, that irritated them. When they were asked for money to go after Clinton for things they didn't like but remembered were not unusual for men in power, they were irritated. The Republican party they joined does not resemble the party they see now.
And, yeah, I have to see thse people every day. It is not a problem for either of us. Out of four children, not a one is a Republican, or a "conservative". Mostly we differ on how money should be used.
Both grew up in the Depression. As the son of a dirt-farmer who got an education and made himself a millionaire, my father can be hard on those who don't have his brilliance (he doesn't realize how smart he is) or drive. My mother can forget, or not realize, how special her mother was for making a home business and raising two children on her own, not just in any age, but in the Depression. But maybe that partly speaks to us in what we should be doing. We take things for granted.
But don't be sad. We have friends who take us as we are, if we are good people. And people we would like to think of as friends who don't.
Somewhere at the beginning of this post was the idea that I'm not sure what that common ground is. There is acceptance. But there is also, I think, a need to have certain values in common. But I think that list of values is short. Not hating my neighbor for what they think would be at the top. And everyone is my neighbor. |
