Politics, Sex, and Religion

Those are the three things you're not supposed to talk about at the dinner table, right?  Money is high on the list, as well.  But, really, if you don't talk about those things, what are you going to talk about?  Even the weather is political, these days.

I hang out with a group of women that I love.  Our political beliefs range from extremely conservative to extremely liberal.  Our religions come in many forms.  We have Hindus, Christians, Jews, atheists, and more.  We have environmentalists and environmental friendlies.  We have a lot that we don't have in common.  But, we all get along.

I think there are a few reasons for this.  One is that we all either homeschool, or have homeschooled in the past.  That allows for common ground.  The second is that almost all of us have had home births, and those who didn't, wish they had.  Most of us are at least aware of all the stuff that our children eat.  (Really, you just should not eat anything that has an ingredient list of more than 20 things, especially if you don't know what 10 of them are.)  But, mostly, we all just accept the fact that we're all different.

It is very difficult to find a person with whom you agree 100% of the time.  In fact, I frequently disagree with myself.  When you're deciding whether or not you want to be friends with someone, you have to decide whether they are worth your while.  Is there something about them that is a deal breaker?  If not, can you ignore the differences?  Is it worth it?  If it's worth it, stop nitpicking, and start having a good time.  You'll be much happier.

And, if politics, sex, or religion (or money) comes up, tread carefully.  If you get your toes stepped on, forgive the other person.  They didn't mean it.  We all have our opinions.  We love them, and want to keep them.  But, they're not something to bludgeon people with.  After all, friendship is not talk radio.