Much Appreciation

I don’t think I ever wrote much about my dad here. Our relationship has been up and down through the years. I’m like a carbon copy of him in many respects, only in opposite form. Over the years we’ve grown to a mutual appreciation and respect between the two of us, more or less accepting each other’s quirks and vastly different beliefs.

Today, after an exhausting phone call with a potential client, my appreciation grew oodles. After one mention to this woman that we did work for Planned Parenthood, she went off on a tangent that included, but was not limited to, a promotion of the tea parties that were just held, an analogy of Obama to Hitler, as well as describing him as part of the “movement” (read apocalypse) but not the anti-Christ, a strongly stated opposition to stem cell research, gay marriage, and the teaching of the holocaust in school (though the latter was partly retracted), some half-cocked explanation of the way the fed and the government is separated, and a story about some pastor who had all of his money turned into gold and stored in some European bank.

I won’t go into specifics, but we needed to keep this client in good relations, so let’s just say that I deserve double what I am paid for listening to all of that and not saying one word. It was getting damn tough and some may judge that I should have said something, but some people are so far out that it’s nearly impossible to reel them back in. Plus, unlike her, I did not feel the platform appropriate to spout my beliefs.

My point to all of this is as much as I disagree with my father’s beliefs, they are all founded on facts, intelligence, and conviction. My father does not spout half-truths, quote radical talk show hosts, nor gather all of his information from biased, pseudo documentaries or word of mouth. Yes, he sends me tons of e-mail propaganda, but underneath that is a man who knows exactly what he’s talking about. He is heavily involved in the Republican party and all of it is his own doing, fueled by his own passion. He knows what’s happening on both sides of the aisles and keeps himself informed on the issues. He’s also an NPR fan, so that helps.

He is the reason that I keep myself as informed as I do, so that I can intelligently argue my points against his. He’s forced me to think and to ground my beliefs in knowledge, to back up what I say and know why it is I believe what I do.

Yes, my father may be staunchly conservative, but consider this, what I learned from him was not to reiterate half-truths or to spout poorly-founded view points, but rather, to develop a passion and really know why it is that I believe what I believe. Granted, it had a consequence he did not intend, but I am forever grateful for this. If only everyone had a dad who cared so much, I wouldn’t feel so angry about losing those 30 minutes of my life to listen to that.

I’ll Take the Spread

Oh, I was trying to avoid election topics before the election. It’s so widely discussed, especially in these final hours, but I cannot hold back.

I am not Joe the Plumber, and for criminy’s sake I am sick of hearing about him. Yes, spread the wealth around. That’s what I say. I work my friggin butt off. Why shouldn’t I get a tax break or an incentive or something to help me? I pay my bills, every stinking month, and I am so devoted to my work I think I am going to get an ulcer.

I have always worked, including two to three jobs during college and I have always been poor. Yes, I can now go to a gas station and not pay for a $5 fill up in loose change and I own more than a lava lamp, bean bag chair, and a table I picked up from the neighbors on trash day, but I am not seeing $200,000 a year for a loooooooooong time.

So am I the only one who is getting ticked off by the pro-McCain commercials that bash Obama for bringing up the idea of spreading the wealth around? This whole trickle down from the top method is not working, or at least it’s not going to work right now in the current economic climate. We middle guys need relief and we need it now. I am luckily not someone who has been greatly affected as of yet — unless you count finding out that my favorite cheese curls were downsized by more than an ounce for the same price — but there are families and seniors out there who are struggling, who need help. Who work, and pay the bills, and watch as other people around them seem to have the money and the wealth and they need help. They need to know that the government can work for them too. That it’s not just the wealthy who will prosper. The hope is, one day they will be the guys on top who will help the guys on the bottom.

OK, that’s all I will say. I just really hate that commercial.