quote:
Originally posted by QuirtEvans:
That's terrific, Mark, and I applaud you for not only listening to your daughter but hearing her, thinking about it, and adjusting your mindset.
I've had a similar but I suspect lesser degree of shift in mindset, also prompted by my daughters. It's a work in progress, for me.
Thank you Quirt. I have grown and adjusted quite a few of my old ways of thinking about the world. So much in fact, that I now agree with you more than I do anyone who votes for GOP policies these days.
Growing up in what I can only describe as borderline extreme homophobic environment starting with the catholic church and the homophobic bullies that it produces. Anyone who even so much "looked" like they had, or exhibited any feminine, or even different ideas, exhibited too much education, etc. were mercilessly bullied and beat up. And there was a pecking order. When I was in college and AIDS hit the scene, the propaganda that was spread about it, further drove the effects of growing up as I did.
Deep down I didn't hate anyone except the bullies.
It took me a lifetime of missteps in thought and direction and a lot of self-examination to get to where I am.
I had already shed my learned bigotry and was well prepared for when our daughter came out to us a few years ago now. I was actually proud of the fact that she knew she could come out to us and not lose one bit of our love or respect. In fact, it made me and her mother respect her more.
I was never a "conservative" but as you well know, more of a slightly vocal Libertarian minded person.
A lot of Libertarian is still in me mostly in the "live and let live" side of the equation (with rules of no harm to others in mind) I think that mindset helped a lot to get me out of the mess I grew up in.
Much to my mothers (and sisters) dismay, I am now a complete and unashamed, atheist. Funny how growing up catholic but then actually reading the entire bible, doing some deep learning about the universe and how it actually works, will do that to some of us. lol I tried to reconnect to that faith a few years ago but it just confirmed that I made the right decision the first time. I was going though the motions trying to reconnect mainly for my daughter who was suffering from treatment resistant depression. I was at my sleep deprived, wits end trying to stop her from committing suicide. It really did nothing for us and was not helping at all. Then finally, a endocrinologist found a partial answer that was enough to get her through it. She is not doing too well health-wise. She was in a pretty bad car crash a few years ago and she also ended up with a diagnosis of MS. She weighs next to nothing, is under 30 years old and walks with a cane. I am still in fear for her life after all these years Her long term survival still weighs heavy on me.
A lifetime of experience will change a person. If it doesn't, then you're already dead inside.
