Monday night we attended a political function. I'm not a huge fan of political events. There always seems to be an excessive amount of posturing, extreme positions, and lots of bandwagoning. Political events in the rural areas are a little bit nicer as everyone talks to everyone, and people actually talk about things other than politics. Unfortunately, this one was in Raleigh.
Despite the location, most of the people were very friendly, even though neither Bobby nor I are adept at talking to strangers or working a crowd. The room was small (wheelchairs are a lot easier to manuever in open spaces) and people seemed to hover near the drinks, making it impossible to get to anything without interrupting a conversation (it was like watching one of those animals shows that sets up a camera near the watering hole), and I was more than a bit baffled when two of the classiest dressed ladies in the room, fixed their plates, then stood in the middle of the buffet line, one on each side, to eat and talk. I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it. Maybe they were trying to meet everyone, but I found it quite rude.
On the flip side, we did meet several people who were very nice, met one person I've had a lot of respect for (the pastor who kept his cool during the very heated amendment debate at Meredith College), and had the chance to chat with both the candidate and his wife. I know a lot of people would find it strange to type that. After all, isn't that what you go to a political event for - to meet the candidates? Yes and no. Usually you go to hear more than one talk (think a pep rally where all the coaches spout off their opinions), and often event at a "meet the candidate" event, outsiders seldom actually meet the candidate. I don't know if it's because we don't worry about being "in the know" with the right people, or if Bobby's chair make people uncomfortable, but often we're passed by or given a cursory glance. I guess that's one of these reasons I was so impressed with Gov. McCrory. On two seperate occasions (that were not meet-n-greet sessions), he went out of his way to talk with every single person in a wheelchair. One of those events was in inclement weather, and he sent his staff on inside to get out of the rain while he stayed behind to chat. I probably should ask more questions about policies and such, but I find that people who treat my husband with the respect he deserves tend to treat their staffers and their constituents the same way. I think the way we treat other people reveals our character much more than our stated positions or theological viewpoints ever can.
And while there are two men running for Hagan's senate seat that I philosophically agree with, I was very impressed with Mark Harris and his willingness to small chat with a couple he didn't know, and didn't seem the least bit embarrassed to be seen talking to a man in a wheelchair. While we should expect that of a pastor, you'd be amazed at the number of pastors who are intimidated or uncomfortable doing that.
If there was any discomfort, it was on my part. While chatting with one of the organizers, he asked how we had heard about the event. When I told him it was via e-mail, he looked a little shocked. He then laughed and said, "E-mail. Do you know, I checked my son's e-mail the other day and he had 652 messages? I got on to him about it, and he laughed at me and said, "Dad, get with the program. No one uses e-mail. It's all social media." And with that, our conversation was over. He made his way onto the next person, and I was left to muse how I can hear that from nieces and not be offended, but from a man my own age, it irritates me more than a little. It shouldn't matter what forum communication is in, but people are important. Period. And yet, the man was not intending to be rude. He was polite, even if he was telling us we weren't up to speed and out of place.
I will never be a social butterfly, and that's okay. But I do hope I'm always gracious and kind. (And I do struggle with those two things.) Perhaps that was my reminder of the week to treat others the way I want to be treated, and to always be edifying with my speech. I guess that's a lesson for all of us.
Despite the location, most of the people were very friendly, even though neither Bobby nor I are adept at talking to strangers or working a crowd. The room was small (wheelchairs are a lot easier to manuever in open spaces) and people seemed to hover near the drinks, making it impossible to get to anything without interrupting a conversation (it was like watching one of those animals shows that sets up a camera near the watering hole), and I was more than a bit baffled when two of the classiest dressed ladies in the room, fixed their plates, then stood in the middle of the buffet line, one on each side, to eat and talk. I can honestly say I've never seen anything like it. Maybe they were trying to meet everyone, but I found it quite rude.
On the flip side, we did meet several people who were very nice, met one person I've had a lot of respect for (the pastor who kept his cool during the very heated amendment debate at Meredith College), and had the chance to chat with both the candidate and his wife. I know a lot of people would find it strange to type that. After all, isn't that what you go to a political event for - to meet the candidates? Yes and no. Usually you go to hear more than one talk (think a pep rally where all the coaches spout off their opinions), and often event at a "meet the candidate" event, outsiders seldom actually meet the candidate. I don't know if it's because we don't worry about being "in the know" with the right people, or if Bobby's chair make people uncomfortable, but often we're passed by or given a cursory glance. I guess that's one of these reasons I was so impressed with Gov. McCrory. On two seperate occasions (that were not meet-n-greet sessions), he went out of his way to talk with every single person in a wheelchair. One of those events was in inclement weather, and he sent his staff on inside to get out of the rain while he stayed behind to chat. I probably should ask more questions about policies and such, but I find that people who treat my husband with the respect he deserves tend to treat their staffers and their constituents the same way. I think the way we treat other people reveals our character much more than our stated positions or theological viewpoints ever can.
And while there are two men running for Hagan's senate seat that I philosophically agree with, I was very impressed with Mark Harris and his willingness to small chat with a couple he didn't know, and didn't seem the least bit embarrassed to be seen talking to a man in a wheelchair. While we should expect that of a pastor, you'd be amazed at the number of pastors who are intimidated or uncomfortable doing that.
If there was any discomfort, it was on my part. While chatting with one of the organizers, he asked how we had heard about the event. When I told him it was via e-mail, he looked a little shocked. He then laughed and said, "E-mail. Do you know, I checked my son's e-mail the other day and he had 652 messages? I got on to him about it, and he laughed at me and said, "Dad, get with the program. No one uses e-mail. It's all social media." And with that, our conversation was over. He made his way onto the next person, and I was left to muse how I can hear that from nieces and not be offended, but from a man my own age, it irritates me more than a little. It shouldn't matter what forum communication is in, but people are important. Period. And yet, the man was not intending to be rude. He was polite, even if he was telling us we weren't up to speed and out of place.
I will never be a social butterfly, and that's okay. But I do hope I'm always gracious and kind. (And I do struggle with those two things.) Perhaps that was my reminder of the week to treat others the way I want to be treated, and to always be edifying with my speech. I guess that's a lesson for all of us.
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