I told myself that I wouldn't get involved in this. I don't live in California, I couldn't have voted on this, it really doesn't impact me all that much. My other reason for staying out of it is that it's such an emotional battle and I don't have the extra energy to spend on it. However, I feel at this point as though I want to express my feelings. I had to work my other job tonight or you can bet I would have been downtown on Temple Square. Would I have been protesting? No. My desire in wanting to be at Temple Square is simply spiritually based. It has been a rough few days for me being torn in different directions regarding how I feel on prop 8. My initial reaction is: the election took place and what's done is done and we need to live with it. However, I'm way more tender than that and my heart goes out to all those that were planning on getting married and now will not be looking forward to that because of the passage of this amendment. I feel bad for them, I really do. I was talking with a good friend of mine about this and I made the comment that I don't think that marriage is a big enough deal to be getting this involved over. He commented back that if he found someone that he really loved, he would want to be married to them. I thought a lot about that and have since changed my views some.
My thoughts yesterday and today have been that of sorrow. I feel extremely bad for those that have been so deeply impacted by these recent events. I spent some time today on the KSL message boards and was amazed at how many people are letting this determine their happiness. It made me sad. So many people are angry at the LDS church for making their members behave in a certain way. My dear friends, this is America. This is one of the greatest nations on this Earth. We have the freedom to chose. We just voted in the first African-American president! We voted for our congressman/women for our local & state leaders and for many other issues. However, there are some of us who have made the choice this week also to be unhappy. You may disagree and that is just fine but we are the only people that can control our happiness. How I wish people would understand that. Just think of what could be accomplished if we would just put this much energy and dedication to a cause for humanity. Instead, we are chosing to be unhappy.
I hope that we all find the thing(s) that make us happy and pursue them and strive to put aside those things that don't let us be happy. Hopefully, in doing this, we will allow others the same benefits.
Andy, Thanks for posting your thoughts. I feel of your empathy and tenderness towards others. I also sense that happiness is part of your nature. I like to think that it is also part of mine, even though difficult days do take their toll. I guess that makes us human.
ReplyDeleteAt this point both sides have the extremes. The real issue here is that these protests are going to polarize the middle. The people who may feel that "okay its wrong but they have rights" when they begin to feel attacked when they see their sacred symbls attacked or they see their LDS neighbors who they know aren't bigots maligned, they are going to act. This bothers me personally because it will only lead to further stereotyping on both sides. This will lead to further conflict. And those of us in the middle will end up losing on both ends.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. Bravone, I think you're correct that happiness is a part of my nature. I decided a long time ago to not have any regrets and part of that, for me at least, is realizing that life is way to short to be unhappy. Is that easy, not by any means because difficult days to come. However, I have determined that happiness is a choice and I choose to be happy.
ReplyDelete