There was a brief time that I was an outspoken liberal -- happily, proudly irritating people. My first foray into irksome liberalism was my high school government class "debate". My high school was in a small Texas town (population 2,000) where taking a week off for the opening of duck season was an excused absence. (By the way, taking that same week to visit my brother in Manhattan and visiting museums was not.) I got to pick my own topic and I chose gun control. I was for it. I made some outstanding points, but my opponent presented a blueprint for how to build a gun with something like baling wire, lugs nuts and flint. Apparently that was considered a superior argument; he won with 100% of the vote. I knew going in that I never had a chance, but god I loved it.
But eventually it stopped being fun to infuriate people and I stopped talking politics.
When I was in high school I pictured my life very differently. I saw myself as a college professor; probably single, definitely childless, and spending my time talking politics over drinks. But I discovered I don't like to drink, my friends preferred talking football and frat parties – and I found studying and going to class to be somewhat of a burden. So my life took a slight detour.
Over the years I began thinking of myself as somewhat middle of the road, but once I became a mom, I realized that I never stopped being a liberal, I just stopped being a passionate one. I had slipped quietly into a life of insipid conversation and useless activity. I ranted and raved throughout the Bush administration, but my friends preferred talking about naps and preschools. I thought soccer-moms were supposed to be the swing political group, but apparently we were too busy going to soccer games to care about the state of the country.
I again became interested in and fascinated with the political realm during the primaries last year. It was exhilarating to think that we could take back the White House – and I just couldn’t get interested in another conversation about scrapbooks or recipes. I discovered Daily Kos. At first, I just lurked – and I lurked for an incredibly long time... I started reading Daily Kos just after Obama’s concession speech in New Hampshire; I made my first comment in September.
I didn’t find Morning Reaction right away – but I remember the first time I read it... The banter throughout the comments simply amused me -- and sort of amazed me. Obviously this was a group with a history and there was a wonderful rapport among the gathering. I didn’t dare horn in on that. But one day I did – and Crissie replied. What I remember was that she ended the comment with "Huggggs". At first I thought "you must have me mixed up with someone else." I mean, I wasn’t part of this little coffee klatch, so why exactly would anyone offer hugs to this interloper? But I soon found myself looking forward to Morning Reaction and especially to the comments. I wrote my opinion and once mentioned my daughter’s illness to somehow illustrate my point. And then the strangest thing happened: a few people responded to a completely unrelated comment a week later just to ask about Kgirl2. And I found a community.
Here's something that I've never mentioned (but you may have guessed). I'm really sappy and sentimental. When I was in high school, there was a Maxwell House commercial that had an older woman getting her mail and her neighbors invited her in for a cup of coffee, while the rest of the neighborhood snuck in and put up and decorated a Christmas tree for her. I cried every single time. I loved watching Hallmark movies just for their commercials. I believe life really could be like that. And when my day has been a disaster, I like to watch Hallmark Channel because you don't need any functioning brain cells to enjoy it and there is ALWAYS a happy ending.
I watched a movie a few weeks ago that starred John Schneider and he reminded me of someone that I couldn't place. In one scene, John Schneider was substitute-teaching a dance class of young girls and he leaned over to the one little awkward girl and whispered something to her and made her feel special. And then it hit me -- he looks like K2's doctor (yeah, he's just that cute.) I remembered that one moment when K2 wouldn't look at him as he walked in because she was too shy so he got on the floor with her and he whispered into her ear and she grinned from ear to ear. It was that precise moment where he went from great doctor to exceptional human being. He gets her. On her own level, he gets her and he took the time to let her know. It was that moment of tender kindness towards an awkward misfit of a little kid, the everyday, very simple moment of reaching out and understanding who she is that melted my heart.
And I tell you that story to explain why I have so enjoyed Morning Feature. It's not that we all share the same opinions and philosophy, because we don't. It's not the civility we display if we disagree, although it is much appreciated. It's the everyday simple reaching out and connecting that makes Morning Feature an integral part of my day. It’s the welcoming back a regular when s/he’s been absent for awhile. It’s the dozen comments inviting a newbie to become a regular. It’s the advice on illnesses and Sunday breakfast and legal issues. It’s the funny stories that cheer me up when things aren’t going so well. It's the genuine concern we have for one another.
It’s the community.
So let's get this party started.