Haibun: Other Side

 Growing up Fundamentalist, it is so easy for me to see people in terms of good and evil, black and white, good or bad. It’s so easy for all of us to do it in such a partisan environment.

But I know I’m capable of seeing it in nuance. Looking at the way I justify my fear to myself, the excuses to do or not to do the things I want to do or fear to do. All I see is nuance and balance.

But I’m not saying the other side is constantly putting forth a reasoned view or a new thought so we need to reach past ourselves, because they are not. The power of each party rests in the deeper devotion of their base being greater than the other’s base. When the base loses enthusiasm, they become the minority party. So the relationship between our parties and us needs us to not listen or understand our neighbors we disagree with.

And honestly, most times I don’t want to listen. Most times I’m hearing an oft repeated, “it’s not right that your side…” or a “well your side is corrupt because… .” I just want to check out because it takes work to sludge through the repletion.

But it’s finding those worth listening to, the few who do the hard work of ignoring the pundits and listening to themselves on what to think. That’s who we make the room for, that’s who we sludge through for, or at least I feel I need to.

sun, shade, either, or

wait, they’re mixed for sure. labels!

winter settles scores