Julie FordYou know, there are times when one has to be serious. I mean, seriously hunker down and get to the tough discussions. Politics, ethics, putting it out there for mulling over and then taking a stand. Learning about what is really “up” in the world around us.
I live in Wisconsin. There has been a lot “up” here. No matter where you live, I bet you know what I’m talking about.
My husband and I have been into learning more. We’ve been talking with others, calling legislative offices on all (notice I didn’t say “both”) sides and doing an inordinate amount of Facebook-ing. There have been some great, informed discussions and of course some passionate rants.
Since our discussions get loud sometimes, our 8½ year-old has caught on to what’s happening. We know this because she’s asked very intelligent questions on the matter. She’s even questioned a teacher who let the kids know that “our governor won’t be our governor for long because he isn’t doing a good job.”
After she sheepishly admitted that she challenged the teacher, we assured her that it was okay and that, as long as she was respectful, she could state her own opinion. We asked her to explain what she thought.
She did (in vast and intriguingly intelligent detail) and along the way, again asked more questions. We answered, giving as much of each side as we could and looked up information when we were stumped. We were surprised by the length of time she remained engaged. It was about 30 minutes of not-very-watered-down political discussion.
Then, she began to spin. Literally. She put her arms out like a helicopter and spun in the kitchen. This was the “I’m now done” cue.
She had soaked in quite a bit and it was time to move on.
I relayed this story to my dad, who often gets WAY sucked into nothing-but-politics discussions, and he very wisely stated, “We could learn a lot from that girl. Sometimes, you just gotta stop and spin.” I’ve been noticing more joke posting on FB and have definitely indulged in a few complete “cyber vacations” myself.
Sometimes, you just gotta stop and spin. I’m off to a comedy club (one way to spin!)
