Skip to main content

Why I don't talk about my views on this blog

The other night we had a friend over for dinner. There are many things on which we see eye to eye and maybe some things that probably we don't necessarily see the same way. Yet, I always enjoy talking to this person. I have been thinking about why that is. I believe it comes down to this: we respect each other. The topic the other night was all about vaccinations. Our last two children are the same age and this friend was curious about how we dealt with vaccinations with all the conflicting ideas out there. I informed him of the ones we get on time, the ones we delay (for seizure risk) and the ones we oppose because they are generated from cells from aborted babies. He later went home and did some research on his own and then came back and we discussed the last category in more depth. Never did he say I was crazy. Never did we raise our voices or did the discussion ever feel tense. Usually I feel very confronted and attacked when talking about these things with my family members who disagree with me. It was just a friendly discussion. I was not trying to change his mind, nor he mine.

I don't understand why these issues have to be so volatile when being discussed. This blog post the other day really made me think. So did this one. And especially this one. I don't typically share my views here on this blog. I feel it is a personal thing for one. But also, I figure that if one sees that I am a Catholic homeschooling mama with several children, people probably have a pretty good idea where I stand on most issues. Lastly, I don't like confrontation. I get anxious and upset. The other night made me realize that these hot topics can be discussed civilly, without name-calling and ugliness.

I am not even sure where I was going with all this except that I am grateful to have had that experience. It gives me hope.


Labels:

Comments

  1. KarenAugust 3, 2012 at 1:10 PM

    I don't like conflict either. I do like respectful dialogue. We all have a story and a reason to stand where we stand. I am interested in that. I am not interested in heavy-handed stereotypes and rude name-calling. Our country seems to have lost the ability to give and take with mutual honor.

    Sad about that.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Door Table

Once there was a store in Georgia. It is no more, but how I wish it was. I likened going in there to treasure hunting. One never knew what was going to be in there, and you had to dig through and wade through all the "other people's treasures" to find your own. I once found a set of blue and white teacups and saucers from England. I found lace handkerchiefs, a rocking chair, and an end table. But by far the best find was my kitchen table. I had stopped by one day while the kids were taking horseback lessons and the then little ones were asleep. The store was not open, but I went up to the window to see if anything new was there. And it was there. The table. And six chairs too! We were in need of a bigger table with Jack on the way. My mom had offered to give us her old one, which I was going to accept if I didn't find something I liked better. I didn't want anyone else to even see the table because I knew it was supposed to be ours, but one can never tell abo...
9 comments
Read more

Walking a New Path

 Well now. It has been quite a while, hasn't it?  I have kept silent about my struggles for the past four years, mainly because I was in the midst of something that I never imagined could happen to our family. And it wasn't just my story. It still is not.  A friend once told me I am an external processor, and I suppose she is right. I find that saying things out loud help me find the answer, if there is one. There was no good answer, as it turns out. And so, I am sad to say, that I am now divorced. A single mother, navigating a life I never imagined.  But there are some things that haven't changed. My faith, for one. I know that God is with me on this journey and that He is way smarter and wiser than I could ever be. He has held me close as I wept and grieved the end of my marriage. He held my hand as I packed up what would fit in a moving truck and drove our belongings to a new home. He has led me to new jobs and I can only trust that all will be well if only I cont...
4 comments
Read more

Fog and faith

 I stepped out into the coolness of the November morning to start the car and defog the windows, preparing to take Jack to school. Daylight had yet to appear. As we drove the many miles, the sky lightened, and we could see the mist hanging out just above the grass. We usually listen to a story together on our drive, adding commentary, exchanging a knowing glance or a shocked expression as the twists and turns unfold. I relish this time with Jack. I know that all too soon he will be preparing to leave the nest, like his sisters before him.  On the drive back, I pull my rosary from my purse and pray. By this time, the sun is just about to appear, making the sky a beautiful orange-pink on the horizon. I am pondering much as I pray, for the path I am on is once again rocky and uncertain. Such is life, whether we have faith or not. Faith makes it bearable. For the most part, the road home is a straight shot and I can see the ribbon of road laid out before me, narrowing in the dista...
3 comments
Read more