A Broad Brush

2017 - FD Thornton
Where I grew up “God, Guns, & Glory” seem to be the mindset. Here where I live now that's definitely the mindset. Now I got nothing against taking care of your own. Or the ideas of treating others as you want to be treated. But what saddens me is the seeming absence of empathy and understanding towards others who many prefer to paint with a broad brush.

To be honest you can't just label my rural friends and family this way alone. Many of my “educated” or “enlightened” friends and family share the same broad brush tendencies when labeling those they see as different. In public I am a bit of a blow-hearted, ill-tempered, smart-ass, but honestly I try and look at both sides of most arguments. But here's the thing, in today's world with all of us forced to run around like “chickens with our heads cut-off”; no one has time to distill the information we're fed. Rather liberal or conservative, the information overlords want nothing more than to hog every moment of your precious time. That way they can scare the shit out of you. And if that's what it takes to keep you glued to their network, then so be it.

Ever since November even the bleeding-heart liberal media I gravitate to has been trying to scare the shit out of me. And at times they've been quite successfully. So lately what I've been trying to do is wean myself from the paranoia and hysterics, and put some balance in what I have around me. When I do that, what I see is basically a lot of good people who are just as scared and upset as me. They wake up every day and see a world that's changing and that frightens them and I get it.

But here's the thing, are the changes you see detrimental to your quality of life? If they are then through civil discourse and not hate and misunderstanding, you can create change. Ever try to get someone to do something they didn't want to do? Ever notice that by forcing them to do your will you never seem to accomplish your goal? That's because you haven't changed the heart. Forcing your ideals or ideology on others doesn't win you any friends. But when you lead by example you'll discover your actions not your demands will change hearts and minds.

I often ask myself why I seem to waste so much time trying convince turnip's to become daisies. But then my heart goes back to the words of the good book where it says. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 (NIV)

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