Last night, it took me the longest time to fall asleep. It’s like my mind was on a loop, and it just cycled through all the things I’ve been thinking about or doing or not doing, one right after another, and I flopped around, thinking while lying on my left side, thinking while on my right. I never can fall asleep on my back, but sometimes I tried that anyway, for variety at least. I have a feeling this post is going to be a little like that–I can’t order my thoughts, can’t collect them into a narrative that is neat and makes sense. (Okay, fine, you’re not surprised, I know.)
So. There’s this–four hours of catching up with a dear friend, talking about babies (she has two; one is ten and one is six weeks. she’s an amazing woman) and careers and influence and unconditional love and politics. We voted differently in the last election, and here’s the most amazing thing. We could talk about it, openly and honestly, without having to convince one another of anything, and never did she make me feel like I had some major character flaw or that I was mentally deficient. Incredible! I’m only half joking about my surprise. Of course I wasn’t surprised that she was treating me well, regardless of what my current political leanings are. Sue is fantastic like that. What has greatly surprised me over the course of this election and its aftermath is how free other people have felt to express not only their disagreement but their contempt, shock, and disdain for my choices, and how vicious people feel they are allowed to be on this topic. But maybe that’s because we’re all talking on the Internet, and isn’t it easy to be mean when you’re typing rather than looking someone in the eyes?
And while we’re on the subject, and I promise this is the last political thing I’ll say here today, I must say I’m quite disturbed at things I’ve been hearing (especially on Facebook) about our current president. In the course of a political conversation, a friend wrote, “He needs to go.” I was floored. I don’t care who you voted for or what terrible things you may think about Obama–he’s our president, and he isn’t going anywhere for the next four years unless he’s impeached or assassinated. And I don’t know that my friend was hoping for an impeachment trial. I sincerely hope it was just an offhanded comment of frustration and nothing more. She probably didn’t mean it the way it sounded. But the fact that it was not an unusual comment in the current political climate, and the fact that no one else seemed to find it shocking, greatly troubled me. My friend is not crazy, but there are mentally unstable people out there, and they all have guns. I don’t remember anyone wishing things like that on Bush, and I have some pretty vocal liberal friends. Never did I hear any of them mention anything remotely like this. (Impeachment, maybe, but the other option…I can’t even type it again.) Why would anyone, regardless of political affiliation, wish that on our country? It is beyond comprehension.
Anyway, I’m not one to end things on a political note, and I may get in quite a bit of trouble for what I’ve said already, so how to change the subject? I think I’ve said all I can on lard without grossing more people out. I could talk about cookies, which are lovely, but cookies are better to eat than to talk about. I’ve been watching a lot of Rob Bell’s stuff lately and can I say how refreshing it is? He is a great mind, and the things he puts out are always artfully done. Of course, just by saying good things about Rob Bell I may be putting myself in the “fringe” category with some people, but oh well, I’m already there with them anyway (and sometimes I get a kick out of that).
Yesterday I watched “The Gods Aren’t Angry” and was blown away by some of the things he said. The purpose of sacrifice, the clearing of conscience, the whole Abraham and Isaac thing. Stories I’ve heard all my life, turned on their heads. Yes. Love it. (Go here: http://player.flannel.org/ and click on “Free Tickets” and watch it on a fast computer.) Isn’t that better than politics? Why, yes, of course it is. You don’t feel mad at me any longer for being different, now do you?
I’ll probably be talking about “TGAA” again if I can ever put my thoughts to words, so if you watch it we can have a lively discussion. Now wouldn’t that be fun?