Politics and Religion...

I have always been told by someone, like many people, you don't talk about politics and religion at the dinner table. When I was interviewing for an international scholarship to travel all around Europe, I got chastised when I said some important discussions were "around politics and religion." Didn't I know you weren't suppose to talk about that?! Of course I did, that's just not reality.

In reality you often talk about it. It does not mean you get into heated debates or impose your views on another person but you're bound to talk about it. The imam's children and I would often get in heated discussions about the role of Islam in modern culture. I have friends who have shared my love of holiday candy (easter, valentines and christmas) but maybe not the love of the holiday itself. I have tried to divorce myself of sibblings over politics at the same time volunteering 80 hours a month leading up to an election. Politics is what I talk about at work. The electric company guys and I, when I was in the Peace Corps, use to wage bets on when the country would be overthrow or go down in a coupe - these were serious conversations about what we saw going on in our community. I won the bet of when the coupe would happen... before the new year.

I am trying to steer clear of politics and religion on my blog because there are other blogs dedicated just for that and this isn't one of them. But I won't let my family off the hook (which should be another one of those thing you never talk about - politics, religion and family. All the same in some cases.) But when I came home from Happy Hour tonight my older brother (calls himself a neo-con but not cool-aid drinkin' one) left me a message saying that he and a bunch of his Republican friends had voted for Hillary that evening and what she had to say was amazing. I'm honestly baffled. Truly. And I called him to make sure I heard him right but he didn't answer (and it was super late). And even if I completely misunderstood him, people are allowed to change their minds and are allow to change their views in politics. Even if it's completely unexpected and unprecedented.

And I'm allowed to blog about it.