Today is my sister, Cindy's, birthday. She is second in line of us six, and the oldest girl. Like any younger sister, I looked up to her when we were growing up, and wanted to be just like her. I treasure her still. I made the trip to Taylor to have lunch with her and spend time. In years past, the trip took a full hour and thirty minutes driving through the countryside from Luling to Bastrop, over to Elgin and up 95 to Williamson County. Nowadays, with the completion of 130, the trip time is almost cut in half.
We had an expectedly wonderful day together. At 5:30, I began my trip home. When I got to the Hwy. 290, I moved over into the left lane to make way for the line of cars preparing their entry onto the toll road. In that line was a Chevy Avenger. He got on and immediately sped up and jumped in front of me in the fast lane, and took off. Because of his erratic driving, I cautiously kept my eye on him, and noticed several stickers on the window and the bumper. The bumper sticker on the right side of his bumper said something that looked derogatory, but I wasn't sure the rude message had been seen properly. Surely not. So, I caught up to him, and confirmed that the sticker read, "Spay and Neuter Liberals." Believe it or not, the sticker on the left side was a Coexist sticker. What on oxymoron!
The sticker's blunt, hateful message infuriated me. (My hot head still gets the better of me sometime.) Especially when the other sticker was in complete contrast to its message. So which is it, mister? Do you believe in coexistence, or do you really hate an entire group of people based on their political ideology? My bold got the best of me, and I got up next to him and started mouthing off. Luckily, he was paying me no mind whatsoever. In my anger, I pressed the pedal to the floor, and cruised down the road. I am thankful I didn't encounter DPS. I'm sure since the toll roads afford drivers a generous speed, troopers don't allow any leeway for topping said speed, certainly not 10 mph over that speed. (Yes, I was driving 90 mph from 290 until the exit for Lockhart...I got home in record time!)
Since I got home, I've been stewing about the man in the Avenger on 130. With that one bumper sticker, he has purposefully alienated himself from anyone who sees political issues in a different way than himself. Pity. Earlier, I tuned into Thom Hartmann's program, and one of his callers brought up the fundamental differences between conservatives and liberals. The caller deduced that cons and libs think differently. (duh) Thom went further, and said that our brains are wired differently. Cons think in terms of "me," and libs think in terms of "we." How simple is that! I really already knew that. Didn't we all? But, it was nice hearing Thom put it in such a matter of fact, emotionless manner.
You know, I feel sorry for conservatives. If they only think in terms of "me," then there are surely some deep-seeded, unresolved issues robbing them of inner peace and happiness. Libs have long since conquered any demons they may have had from their past, and wholly love themselves allowing them to easily love others. That's my take. I am so proud that I am a liberal. And, that I had the influence of loving, liberal grandparents who served their community in many ways from the 20s until the 70s. They were the Starks of east Austin. And, if you were around during those times, you undoubtedly remember them well.
No matter who I meet from day to day, be they conservative, liberal, black, white, brown, yellow, gay, lesbian, zombie, martian, etc., I am friendly and welcoming. Whether it be a smile or a polite hello, I always meet my fellow human with love. It just makes day to day life easier if you love! So simple.
Peace, Love, Solidarity ~
Martha ;)
I agree conservatives and liberals are wired differently.We liberals became less radical and unhappy after we achieved all our accomplishments way back in the mid 70s.
ReplyDeleteWhat a coincidence,I've always said that I can walk downtown smile and say hello to everyone I meet and I will get the same in response.
I live in Victoria which is 85% conservative GOP but I've made the changes necessary to live in peace and harmony...I maintain my composure (easy to do as we keep winning national elections)and allow them to vent and rant and then we talk about something else...I bait some of my more personal friends by saying "Obama is doing a helluva job" just to see them go off. You would think they would have caught on by now.....:-)
Real men don't drive Avengers.
ReplyDeleteI love the old geezers in the nice pickups who are pulling hay (or clearly give some kind of indication that they are in the agriculture business) with the 'NoBama' stickers or other tacky comments abut our president (all translates to 'I hate Democrats'). I have asked, at a stop light, if they receive farm subsidies. I usually see these folks up there around Lockhart...
ReplyDeleteSince this is a liberal/ progressive blog, let me tell you where I stand that is against liberals. Why are liberals believe in man made global warming, but yet refuse to acknowledged sunspots in relation to Earth temperature? Why is liberals are pro choice, but yet anti-choice when it comes to unions?
Mr. Justin P. Williams
Mr. Williams: I can only speak for myself in answer to your questions. I am pro-choice because I am against women dying from attempting to self-abort. Remember pre-Roe v Wade? I do. In the words of Bill Clinton, "abortion should be safe, legal and rare."
ReplyDeleteI can't speak much about unions except to say this: If WalMart workers were allowed to unionize, they could bargain for fair wages instead of being underpaid, and having to depend on government subsidies like AFDC, food stamps and Medicaid. If you take a look back at this nation's history, employers during the industrial age, paid their workers slave wages, worked them from sun up to sun down including on weekend days. Children were a big part of the workforce leaving many permanently disabled or dead from injuries sustained on the job. Unions came in and brought about the 40-hour work week, a safe workplace, fair wages, and made it illegal for children to be hired. Fairness, safety, and children being in school instead of a factory are good things, don't you think?
Let me add this conservatism isn't the answer and neither is liberalism.
ReplyDeleteJustin Williams