A ramble after a long absence

Hi everyone. It's Mary W. aka Meg D. writing here. Sorry for my embarrassingly long absence from blogging. Life has been chaotic, but I won't bore you with details. Besides, what's far more interesting is what's going on in the country right now with the election just around the corner! Here in little liberal-outpost Jackson, I see more Obama bumper stickers than McCains... but I have noticed a flurry of McCain/Palin lawn signs sprouting up the past few days. Having lived in Portland, Ore. and San Francisco in recent years, I'm still not used to working and socializing with people of varying political stripes. Thing is, I'm not really down on Republicans per se, I just cannot understand how anyone could have ever supported Bush/Cheney, and I understand even less (if that's possible) support for McCain/Palin. On this note, I've been enjoying NY Times conservative commentator David Brooks' analysis of what's gone wrong with the GOP.

And don't get me started on She of the Taxpayer-Supported 100K Wardrobe. If you haven't yet seen Saturday Night Live's Tina Fey doing her rendition of Sarah Palin, go to the SNL site immediately and check it out!

Speaking of mixing it up with people with different viewpoints here in Wyoming - which I get the opportunity to do far more often than I did on the Left Coast - I had an illuminating talk the other day with a Pro-Life friend. Because we are already friends, we both approached the subject of abortion rights with respect for one another's perspective. She talked to me about her Catholic faith and how it informs her views on life being sacred. I talked about my own ethical perspective on abortion as a complex component of ensuring lives with positive futures. I was surprised and delighted that my friend and I ended up agreeing on key issues like focusing on preventing unplanned pregnancies as well as not restricting legal access to abortion. I learned a good lesson about listening and respect - it is these sorts of conversations that I think our country needs more of. I encourage you to take a chance and talk with someone you know thinks differently than you do about an important issue. See if you can discover any areas of agreement. Your incentive? You'll be well-prepared for the kind of unity and change President Obama will usher in next year!
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