On Election Day, I guess it is only fitting that I cover something I try to avoid discussing on this blog– politics. The fact is that over the years I have really become disenchanted with our political system, and as I’ve focused more on my own causes– being a good mother, lawyer and educator, I’ve spent a lot less time paying attention to all the ads, debates and campaigns. Because politics is not one of my priorities, I have been able to date people with vastly different political views.
Sadly, a lot of people seem out of sorts this year with very impassioned arguments about why others should vote their way. Try to remember this– the beautiful thing about America is that we are all entitled to form our own opinions and express them as much as we want. It is not my job to try and convert people to see everything my way, and in a partner, I just want someone that loves me and respects me. You can simply agree to disagree!
Now that I have cast my votes, I’m looking forward to putting all these political discussions behind us, but I am glad that we had them. Election years are a really good test for people to internally examine just how important certain topics are to them, and how much they can tolerate alternate views. There is no right or wrong answer on this– it is just what works for you– but if you can’t stand listening to the alternate view, then you really should bring up politics early on in your dates.
In the dating world I became exposed to a much broader world than what I was used to in my Ivy League towers. I have learned that we don’t all cherish the same causes, and also that as we mature, these causes can change– which is how some couples married for many years now find themselves on opposite ends of the political spectrum. Plenty of my married friends have essentially agreed not to discuss politics in order to preserve marital bliss, and I honestly commend them for setting up this boundary. Let’s be real- it is so hard to find a decent human being that you can connect with and trust. Am I going to dump someone because they lean more to the right and I’m more to the left??? I don’t think so, but hey, that’s just me. Live and let live is my message for today.
