Three Seats

[Martin Eden]

39. Thank You

That means a lot, coming from you.

I wish I had your patience and understanding, but my two wolves are still fighting it out. It's easier to rationalize the need for love and kindness than putting it in practice when confronted with unreasonable people whose own behaviors are causing harm to others.

My general strategy with personal contact is avoidance of politics, unless I'm confident we're on the same wavelength. Born in 1957, I'm a lifelong slowpitch softball player. Prior to bad injuries in 2019 & 2020 I was on a nationally competitive senior tournament team -- mostly white guys in their early-mid 60's. I like my teammates personally and as a group, though no doubt some of them voted for Trump.

Not sure exactly what I'm getting at but when I see the anti-vaxxers, the white supremacists, evangelicals elevating Trump to a cult hero, and the Jan 6 insurrectionists ... the furthest thing from my heart is love and kindness. I can tell myself they're victims of propaganda and their home environment, but at some point an adult has to take personal responsibility for their own words and actions.

I also know that nothing positive is to be gained by venting at these people -- triggering the bad wolf in others.

I'm trying, but it's not easy.