Wow, you just nailed this! Love reading your writing. And the icing on the cake of this story…holding their hands in prayer before the meal; the height of hypocrisy - not even close to following the simple principles Jesus taught. Thank you for sharing this little episode.
Ugh! I just can’t continue conversations with people who believe in ways that are a threat to my family. Cognitive dissonance is really tough these days.
It's crazy to me that they can't see how it's a threat. Your 401K is somehow more important than my (and others) basic human rights? I just don't understand.
Katrina, this is so good. You summed it up perfectly. "But I know that I am not safe around people who stand on the opposite side of this particular line. No one is." I've been sad off and on about cutting off my sister who is a Trump supporter. She wouldn't cut me off even if I were a serial killer, but I can't live like that. How can we trust anyone who chooses this? And I need to be able to trust the people around me. I guess their bar for friends and family is different. Or they just think everyone's a monster. But there is a huge difference. I see footage of Trump rallies and compare that to my personal experience of the protests. I know who I'd want to be stranded on a desert island with.
It's funny, Wendy. My baseline for everything is "What if I was stranded on a desert island?" What would I eat? How would I build shelter? What CD would I take to listen to over and over? And who would I want to be there with? The lines that separate us are getting thicker and thicker. I'm sorry about your sister, but I agree: How can such polar opposites in morality and humanity ever re-align?
It’s a really solid framework! It boils things down to essentials. Here’s the thing about those 2 sides of the line…did Fox poison them or were they always this way, and we just didn’t drill down deeply enough to see it? Like the woman you met (Susan?)…if it were a pre-Trump world, might you have become friends? There are people I know who were good to me when I was a young woman who became rabid Trump supporters. It’s weird, right?
Yes. Or people who say, "I'll pray for you." In my experience, that's a covert way for a "christian" to say, "fuck you." At least in some of my 12-step meetings.
In 2012 I accidentally attended an extremist church for a short time. I was new in town and she was my new co worker. They started making noises about how great it would be to get rid of democracy. I should actually thank them, because I learned the truth about a lot of things. “Project 2025” was no surprise to me. Rather, it was a natural progression.
So much in life we don't get to choose, yet who we desire to spend our time with, we do, and must. You can't be any other way, Katrina. None of us can. I appreciate your sharing. Maybe go out and have another yummy meal again, so that you can fully enjoy it. 💜
As I was reading, the first thing that popped into my mind was “they probably proudly go to church each week.” A male friend of mine was talking to a perfectly, seemingly normal man at, of all places, The Friendly (we call it the Surley). After 20 minutes of banter when they started talking about their adult kids, he asked if the adult kids had any kids. He then remarked, “ya, know…we’ve got to hope for lots of grand babies to replace all of the n____and Hispanics in the USA.” My friend almost fell off his chair. So. Fucking.Terrible!
My gawd. So much horrifying bullshit has been unleashed in this country. How in the world can some words just roll right off of people's tongues without a second thought? But I love that you call The Friendly The Surly. It will now forever be that in my mind. XO
My thoughts exactly. And Julie says she teaches in a very "white" district, so she probably gets very little pushback. Creating another generation of bigots and history revisionists.
Small business owners are in trouble. What year is this ….1929? They’ll be standing in a bread line before long. I don’t wish that on anyone, even Susan. But we know it’s coming. I would have had the exact same reaction, Katrina. 💙
This is the best part: Her "small business" is in thoroughbreds. They have a horse that won the Breeder's Cup with a $1.2M payout. I'm pretty sure her definition of "small business" is very different than yours or mine.
Wonderful text about something bigger than we would expect. Your words are perfect. This is happening to us everyday… People like Susan are coming out all over the world and their leaders are legitimating their actions and their speech. This is so frightening…
Wow, you just nailed this! Love reading your writing. And the icing on the cake of this story…holding their hands in prayer before the meal; the height of hypocrisy - not even close to following the simple principles Jesus taught. Thank you for sharing this little episode.
Thanks for being here, Ross. "The height of hypocrisy" is so accurately stated.
Ugh! I just can’t continue conversations with people who believe in ways that are a threat to my family. Cognitive dissonance is really tough these days.
It's crazy to me that they can't see how it's a threat. Your 401K is somehow more important than my (and others) basic human rights? I just don't understand.
Katrina, this is so good. You summed it up perfectly. "But I know that I am not safe around people who stand on the opposite side of this particular line. No one is." I've been sad off and on about cutting off my sister who is a Trump supporter. She wouldn't cut me off even if I were a serial killer, but I can't live like that. How can we trust anyone who chooses this? And I need to be able to trust the people around me. I guess their bar for friends and family is different. Or they just think everyone's a monster. But there is a huge difference. I see footage of Trump rallies and compare that to my personal experience of the protests. I know who I'd want to be stranded on a desert island with.
It's funny, Wendy. My baseline for everything is "What if I was stranded on a desert island?" What would I eat? How would I build shelter? What CD would I take to listen to over and over? And who would I want to be there with? The lines that separate us are getting thicker and thicker. I'm sorry about your sister, but I agree: How can such polar opposites in morality and humanity ever re-align?
It’s a really solid framework! It boils things down to essentials. Here’s the thing about those 2 sides of the line…did Fox poison them or were they always this way, and we just didn’t drill down deeply enough to see it? Like the woman you met (Susan?)…if it were a pre-Trump world, might you have become friends? There are people I know who were good to me when I was a young woman who became rabid Trump supporters. It’s weird, right?
So weird. I truly thought we were going to be BFFs. That’s how much we originally aligned. And then … BAM!! 💥
Yeah. The praying. I'm so sorry your evening was ruined. It's eye-opening, isn't it? xo
So very eye-opening. So very sad.
Yes. Or people who say, "I'll pray for you." In my experience, that's a covert way for a "christian" to say, "fuck you." At least in some of my 12-step meetings.
Those are the exact four words my late sister said to me when I came out to her. It was devastating.
How could it not be. It's so harsh, so judgy, so covert. I'm sorry, sweetheart. That's awful. xo
I don’t trust people who pray in public. It’s all for show. I probably wouldn’t feel this way were it not for trump.
It always made me uncomfortable, even when I was a church-goer. So performative.
In 2012 I accidentally attended an extremist church for a short time. I was new in town and she was my new co worker. They started making noises about how great it would be to get rid of democracy. I should actually thank them, because I learned the truth about a lot of things. “Project 2025” was no surprise to me. Rather, it was a natural progression.
God, it's exhausting. And I mean god, like, wow. Not like Skydaddy Judgingman.
Skydaddy Judgingman. HAHAHA!!! I <3 you.
So well said. I will never understand these people. And I don’t want anything to do with them.
Me, neither. I cannot be a part of that world.
WOW.
So. Much. Wow. What a night.
So much in life we don't get to choose, yet who we desire to spend our time with, we do, and must. You can't be any other way, Katrina. None of us can. I appreciate your sharing. Maybe go out and have another yummy meal again, so that you can fully enjoy it. 💜
Another meal to reclaim that one sounds like the perfect answer, Joanie.
As I was reading, the first thing that popped into my mind was “they probably proudly go to church each week.” A male friend of mine was talking to a perfectly, seemingly normal man at, of all places, The Friendly (we call it the Surley). After 20 minutes of banter when they started talking about their adult kids, he asked if the adult kids had any kids. He then remarked, “ya, know…we’ve got to hope for lots of grand babies to replace all of the n____and Hispanics in the USA.” My friend almost fell off his chair. So. Fucking.Terrible!
My gawd. So much horrifying bullshit has been unleashed in this country. How in the world can some words just roll right off of people's tongues without a second thought? But I love that you call The Friendly The Surly. It will now forever be that in my mind. XO
Ugh. So glad she’s a teacher. Perfect.
My thoughts exactly. And Julie says she teaches in a very "white" district, so she probably gets very little pushback. Creating another generation of bigots and history revisionists.
What a totally predictable ending, and you landed it perfectly.
This Ayn Rand capitalist individualist shtick is getting so fucking old. The leopards can’t eat their faces fast enough, IMO.
Gawd. Ayn Rand. That's a way-too-relevant blast from the past. And I agree... bring on the leopards!!
Small business owners are in trouble. What year is this ….1929? They’ll be standing in a bread line before long. I don’t wish that on anyone, even Susan. But we know it’s coming. I would have had the exact same reaction, Katrina. 💙
This is the best part: Her "small business" is in thoroughbreds. They have a horse that won the Breeder's Cup with a $1.2M payout. I'm pretty sure her definition of "small business" is very different than yours or mine.
Will there ever be consequences for these idiots, Katrina?
Wonderful text about something bigger than we would expect. Your words are perfect. This is happening to us everyday… People like Susan are coming out all over the world and their leaders are legitimating their actions and their speech. This is so frightening…
Hugging and following you, from Lisbon, Portugal.