Against the Grain

One of these days I am going to learn the names of these plants . . .

I tend to think of myself as being rather ordinary. What I mean by that is simply that I don’t see myself as being that far out of the mainstream of society. Then I read somewhere that 80% of Americans oppose gay marriage and I have to say, well, who the hell did they ask? I mean, nobody I know feels that way. Then I entertain the notion that maybe they asked three people from Nebraska as their entire survey sample. Surely 80% of the population does not oppose equal treatment for everyone?

I guess they really do. I’ve just spent my entire life (probably started right at conception) going against the grain. What is really funny to me is simply that I think that now that I have a mortgage and live in a middle class neighborhood, pay my taxes and don’t participate in many direct actions, I tend to think that I have become conservative. Apparently that just isn’t the case. According to friends of mine, I am still left of center.

Most middle-class mortgage paying folks aren’t a part of a coven. I tend to think of it as being similar to Bible study except we don’t study the Bible and gather under full moons. Okay, it isn’t like Bible study. Like I’d know. I have never been to a Bible study in my life.

Actually , the most mainstream thing I am a part of is Alcoholics Anonymous and I guess to some folks that is way out there too. Hell, anyone can join. All you have to do is have a desire to quit drinking. It probably helps if before you get that desire to quit you had a strong desire to keep drinking also. But I suppose even that is a little off the beaten path to some folks. One day at work they were talking about criminals and how they should lock them up and throw away the keys. I realized that when they were talking about thieves, addicts, drunk drivers and con artists, they were talking about my friends. Admittedly, most of my friends don’t do that anymore. Sometimes a wet one comes into a meeting and then, hey, I do have a friend who is doing those things, at least briefly.

The gay marriage thing is causing some friction at work because someone brought up the topic and her obvious expectation was that everyone would agree with her that it was just sick and wrong. Well, I loudly and strongly agreed that it was sick and wrong to treat one group of people differently than another because there were either two penises in a relationship or no penises at all! It turns out that we were not agreeing about anything and at the end of the conversation if I had said to her that at least we agreed we both needed oxygen to live, she would have argued with me.

I probably won’t tell her that my coven just voted in a poly/lesbian in a quad relationship. Somehow, I just think it would be an uphill battle explaining that she has two wives and a husband. I don’t think she’d feel better knowing that there was always someone taking care of the two year old girl they have. Telling her that the girl was going to grow up in a loving, safe environment probably would not help either.

It’s hard for me to see what the big deal is. I mean that lifestyle is not form me. When I heard about it the first thing I thought was “wow, that would suck. Three anniversaries and birthdays to keep track of and who does all that laundry?” But it works for her and I have met the whole bunch of them and I like them, so it is cool with me. It doesn’t even seem all that alternative when they are discussing what to have for dinner and how to get the shopping done.

People are people and they can be wonderfully beautiful or painfully ugly. Most of that comes from the attitude they choose to take. I happen to think that the ones who spend their time complaining about how others live tend to be painfully ugly because of their attitude. But that is just my opinion and I leave it at that.

Looking to the East I see the Goddess is bringing us a beautiful morning sunrise. I am grateful to be alive today. I am sober, I am loved and somehow, that seems to more than enough for right now. Thank You Great Mother for these gifts!

Blessed Be!