We can all learn from a Foley folly

I tend to avoid talking politics or religion with my grandmother. She is a 92 year old Latina who has retired to Florida. She is a relentless supporter of Bush and the Pope, sometimes in that order, sometimes as if they were the same person.

Yesterday we spoke over the phone to make fun of the other person’s candidates, assure each other that we were each voting, and to figure out a way to encourage my younger sister to begin to vote. Nana and I both agree with the democratic process, and have always respected our opposite views as long as we each vote. And while we both espouse a non-partisan intervention towards my sister’s political upbringing, my sister tells me that grandma does seem to repeatedly suggest that she should vote like her, not like her liberal grandson. But this is only suggestion.

I gave my grandmother my own suggestion yesterday:

(snickering) “Nana, don’t vote for Foley again, you don’t know what you might get”

“There is nothing wrong with Foley, he is not as bad as they make him out to be. It is okay to be Gay.”

Me silent. Me thinking, if Foley's actions and her undying support for the Republican party can box her into a position where she has to consider homosexuality as acceptable, then some good is coming from all this.

“Nana, the Foley issue is not about him being Gay. It is about him taking advantage of underage teenage pages whom he harassed, and may have had sex with. If this is the case, it is about power abuse.”

“Ahhh, I am sure that those 16 year old boys knew more about sex than he did. They probably fooled that old man to no end.”

She might be 92, but two things remain true. She, like any good republican will assess and accept their lost battles and then tell everyone to get on with it. This, of course, only applies when they are in the spot light, not when they are aiming it.

Either way, the votes are in and change is afoot.

Love ya Nana. See ya in the House and God and the Pope willing, in the Senate as well.

Tummy Trouble

Last night was Halloween.

Scrappy and I went to a dinner party. The food was excellent and the conversation was funny and pleasant.

We made it home at 10:30 or so. Could not sleep afterwards. Eating so late affected Scrappy and my restfulness.

I feel old.