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Navigating life after losing my husband.

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Politics and a Purple Nose

I first wrote this in February, but with the elections now weeks away, I thought it was worth resurrecting.--October 13, 2012

When elections come around, I duck for cover. I try to remain neutral. Some may call that being wishy washy. I am okay with that. To the best of my ability, I stay uninformed. Call me unpatriotic, but it's a coping mechanism for me.

There's a reason I am not politically inclined. When I was a kid, politics were so intensely debated in my family, it was scary. Emotions ran high, and everyone seemed angry.The funny thing is everyone was on the same side, so I don't know why the discussions got so hot.

The whole of both sides of my family are conservative Republican. I do have one uncle who is a liberal Democrat.  Completely outnumbered, he wisely went outside to play with the kids when the subject of politics came up.

My Grandma O'Hara was especially passionate about politics. When she'd talk about the Democrats--those dirty pups, she called them--you'd visibly see her blood pressure rise as the capillaries on her face began to burst.  Her cheeks got splotchy red, and the end of her nose would turn purple. (Oh, Grandma, I miss you dearly!)

My sibs and some of the nieces and nephews can be equally as intense. Last Christmas, we were talking about how we had inherited the O'Hara gene. We all have this propensity to get on a soap box.

And then the subject turned to who knows what. It could have been President Obama, illegal immigrants, or taxes. It didn't matter. We were off.  Debating. Disagreeing. Agreeing. Contradicting ourselves, until we didn't even know what we were discussing or what we exactly believed about any of it.

I felt my heart race with adrenaline. My cheeks and my nose felt warm. Yeesh. The O'Hara in me had taken over. Oh, it's embarrassing to realize you've been on a high horse. Especially when you don't even know the horse's name.

P.S. I've tentatively begun to tune into the election debates.  I am unconvinced of either candidate. All I know, is Romney's hair is too perfect. I'm not sure you can trust a guy who uses Grecian formula. And, that's all I'm going to say about that.

4 comments:

  1. You are so funny sis! But as much as we have our family debates and discussions, they are not half as heated as Phil's family. lol Vicki

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    1. I can imagine, Vick. Are they all the same side?

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  2. Not always. Usually I get a headache when we go up there to visit and bring my Advil with me. lol I sometimes join in the conversation, but it's a lost cause most of the time and usually I can't get a word in edgewise anyway.:) Vicki

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