Monday, October 6, 2008

Life ponderings


Ususally I don't drag politics into this, but this one is at least partially blow back. In the 1960's my stepmoms fabulous tiny jewish italian man from Chicago, had the social balls to marry a fantastic woman of color. Let me tell you, grandma Leo knows how to work it and you know right NOW who is in charge of that family. Civil rights baby and it was where it was at!

Fast forward 40 years.

I am sitting in the middle of the vortex of my mercury talisman. I am tutoring math. Usually I am an old enough soul to step out of the stickier life questions that are innappropriate at work. Never do I lie, but I don't always volunteer information that is not appropriate. When I first got the stats folks one of the women was just all excited and called me "a Godsent". I believe in God and really didn't feel the need to get into it with her.

Then she pointedly asked me "Are you a Christian?"

I smiled my pisces smile that implies "why do you ask?" but answered "Well I went to Catholic school..." and let it drop. I let folks fill in their own blanks on questions that are none of their business.

I had agreed to come in on my own time on Friday to help her but she stood me up. Not a big deal I was just killing time between classes.

Then today when I get there, she just tap danced on my buttons. Here in California gay marriage is on the ballot. It is getting a lot of press in the conservative sides around here. There is a lot of preaching from the pulpit that is just making me ill. So when she came in today she started in on a line of questions and rants that was directed against gay marriage. Now mind you, everyone is entitled to their opinion but I don't have to hear it at work. Also the thing that generally drives my issues is that people look at me and make all sorts of assumptions about what I believe based on how I look. If they knew me or my family at all... least I digress.

I managed to just ignore her until she got the hint. We were at work. But on Friday, it is my time and she will get to hear my opinions that she so desperately does not want to know.

I plan to fully hurt her head a bit. Perhaps she can hear about people I love who have finally gotten the chance at what all of their straight friends have. Perhaps she can hear about my own sexuality is a crap shoot too. If Frater POS came in a female package I would have been just as happy. As my family says lovingly, some of us walk home on BOTH sides of the street. So, yes, in many ways I do take it personally.

While usually I do not get into such things, I think that it is easier to deny peoples rights when they are faceless nameless entities. When they are the people you know, somehow that process becomes less impersonal.

From a strictly practical side, I have been married and divorced. I don't know why only one group of folks should get that E ticket ride. Hell there is plenty of that JOY to go around.

Though my exmilitary father might have had the best line when he took me up to UCSF for the liver stuff. He said "Baby, gay folks have had the right to marry for over 3 months now and it hasn't changed my marriage one bit." If you knew their marriage you would find that hillarious!

Good night and Gods bless - any you chose or none at all!

2 comments:

WitchDoctorJoe said...

I love the comic strip!

As a Veritas Wiccan, I have my views on Nature, the fertility of Male and Female and the Divine Union. I also know that these are MY views.

When speaking about the religions rights of Pagan inmates Patrick McCollum told a congressional committee "...you cannot deny an individual their first amendment rights and freedoms, to practice their religion and justify it based on YOUR own personal religious faith..."

I see a connection.

Someone once said "...I think Gay couples have the right to be as miserable as the rest of us..."

Soror Gimel said...

Love the quote and oh how true!

Though I am always amazed that people just assume that they know something about me based strictly on how I look. Actually the great irony is that her charming husband is a statistics teacher and tutor but doesn't have time to help her. Which would be why she is in my tutoring. Now that is a good marriage :)