At 80, I have very few friends. And most of them exist because we don't discuss matters of any significance. Between 24 and 45 I had at least 20 to 25 "friends" that I saw often, had discussions about politics, religion, parenting and many subjects. The discussions weren't about conversion of points of view, but to get a deeper inderstanding of ideas and positions that were alien to each of us so we could learn from each other. We respected points of view with which we DIDN'T agree...departed friends and looked forward to the next chance to talk about 'stuff." I now find myself surrounded by people of all ages who will see disagreement as a reason to dismiss me as someone even to talk to...as if every matter is now absolutely decided and if my view is not theirs, I am to be...what is the term they use today..."cancelled" or something like that. I don't need the aggrivation and prefer my cave. When I go out, I say little, react to nothing and just thank the good Lord my time in this idiotic time is almost over. I never thought I would think that civilization and associated behavior was a thing of the past...I was wrong.
The rallying point is America's freedoms and principles. Unity is only in agreeing on important principles. That is where unity and harmony exist in spite of 100 years of our minds being directed away from our principles and Christianity! We need to magnify what is there with more support from those who have accepted the silencing!
I enjoyed the optimism of this article. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that a friend of mine (30+ years) has pretty much dropped me because I'm conservative. It makes me pretty sad. I know if I said anything, she would deny it but it's pretty obvious.
At 80, I have very few friends. And most of them exist because we don't discuss matters of any significance. Between 24 and 45 I had at least 20 to 25 "friends" that I saw often, had discussions about politics, religion, parenting and many subjects. The discussions weren't about conversion of points of view, but to get a deeper inderstanding of ideas and positions that were alien to each of us so we could learn from each other. We respected points of view with which we DIDN'T agree...departed friends and looked forward to the next chance to talk about 'stuff." I now find myself surrounded by people of all ages who will see disagreement as a reason to dismiss me as someone even to talk to...as if every matter is now absolutely decided and if my view is not theirs, I am to be...what is the term they use today..."cancelled" or something like that. I don't need the aggrivation and prefer my cave. When I go out, I say little, react to nothing and just thank the good Lord my time in this idiotic time is almost over. I never thought I would think that civilization and associated behavior was a thing of the past...I was wrong.
The rallying point is America's freedoms and principles. Unity is only in agreeing on important principles. That is where unity and harmony exist in spite of 100 years of our minds being directed away from our principles and Christianity! We need to magnify what is there with more support from those who have accepted the silencing!
I enjoyed the optimism of this article. Unfortunately, I'm pretty sure that a friend of mine (30+ years) has pretty much dropped me because I'm conservative. It makes me pretty sad. I know if I said anything, she would deny it but it's pretty obvious.