As a career math teacher I know a bit about variables and constants. There are actually of lot of them in the real world. We often vary quite a bit in our political beliefs. I suppose that each of our viewpoints have been affected by a lifetime of experiences. One thing that is a solid constant for me is my genuine affection and love for my family and friends. That never changes even when we are at extreme odds in how we vote in elections. A single individual or moment in time will never be enough for me to turn my back on the people who have walked with me throughout my life.
For most of the many decades that I have been on this planet I have kept my voting habits to myself. When I was about seven years old I remember riding on my bicycle with my best friend, Lynda, next to me shouting, “I like Ike!” I knew little about him aside from the fact that he had done a great job as a general in World War II and he looked like a nice man. I really had little reason to worry one way or another about who would become president. I took it for granted that whomever the American people chose would probably be an okay guy.
I high school I participated in a debate during the election when Lyndon Johnson and Barry Goldwater were running for the highest office in the land. I advocated for Johnson mostly because he was from Texas. I wasn’t old enough to vote at that time and the argument for or against each candidate felt theoretical rather than gravely important. I can’t even remember who among my classmates were on which side. I was just glad that I got a good grade for my efforts.
After that I mostly kept my political leanings close to my chest, especially when I became a teacher. Contrary to popular belief most of us in classrooms were quite careful not to attempt to influence our students one way or another about either elections or religion. Sometimes other teachers or some of my students would ask whom I favored and I never was willing to speak about that. I did not think that it was my place to discuss such things in my classroom. I kept to the variables and constants of Algebra rather than politics.
It has been recent years when somehow we all began to visibly and vocally choose a side. It was the first time that I actually knew how each of my friends and family members allied themselves politically. It was the first time we actually talked with each other about such things. There were a number of surprises as the revelations presented themselves. As far as I was concerned it did not matter whether or not we were unified in our thinking. My attitude was “to each his own,” but surprisingly people began to question and even make fun of my personal beliefs. The whole process of choosing and voting became a volatile topic. There were far too many things that must not be said. Sadly there were even times when long time relationships fell apart simply because we disagreed.
I refuse to accept that. While my ideals are important to me the constancy of my love and concern for the people who have shared my journey with me will never vary. They can call me out and even choose to ignore me, but I will continue to love them nonetheless. I suppose that they just do not understand how much more important they are to me than choosing a particular person to govern us. Politicians come and go, friends and family are forever.
We may never completely understand each other, but hasn’t that been the way of things from the beginning of time? The best aspect of living in a democracy is that we don’t have to tow a particular line. We can be different and it is okay. I have my reasons for believing what I do and others have theirs. Each experience that I have had and each person whom I have met has influenced my perspective. I have my reasons for advocating the ways in which I do. They are deeply personal just as I know that everyone’s leanings are.
My dream is a big one given the way things now stand. I would like to think that we will get past the bickering and one day evolve into a society in which our main goal is to work together, make sacrifices together. Our world is begging us to be civil because if we are only capable of demanding and arguing we will surely descend into a hell of our own making. We have to stop the talk of civil wars and determine how we might find reasonable compromises that fairly include everyone. We may all have to admit that our extravagances and wasteful ways will surely destroy our planet. We should strive to be the adults in the room whose desire is to make the world a better place for all of our children, not by being afraid of each other but by getting to know and understand and love each other. We are not school yard kids choosing sides and throwing rocks. Our time here and now demands that we be the kind of caretakers who will leave things better than they were when we arrived. We can do that without driving each other apart.
I have big dreams in my heart that we can be very different and still be friends and still make progress. I think of the infinite possibilities because I know a bit about that as well. The time to make that happen is today. As Emily Dickinson so poetically said, “Forever Is Composed of Nows!” Let’s seize the moment!
All It Takes Is A Little Love 