This is such a great, vivid description. 15-20 years ago, I was very active in very small-stakes local games and tournaments. The guys there weren’t golfers or boaters; they were blue-collar dreamers who never imagined that a president would one day mouth all of their worst thoughts. I stopped playing only when I moved. The gang knew I w…
This is such a great, vivid description. 15-20 years ago, I was very active in very small-stakes local games and tournaments. The guys there weren’t golfers or boaters; they were blue-collar dreamers who never imagined that a president would one day mouth all of their worst thoughts. I stopped playing only when I moved. The gang knew I was definitely not one of them in many significant ways. Yet, when I announced one night that I was leaving the area, I said goodbye with hugs and well wishes. I think what you are observing is what has always been possible, but is increasingly rare due to social media and extreme media outlets. At a distance, I can easily despise 98% of humanity. Up close, I am quickly reminded how each of us shares, even if we respond to those shared experiences differently. Those Obama hating poker players I left behind near the beginning of his presidency, who smoked a ton and drank Jager shots like they were frat brothers, were decent and rational in more ways than not. I struggle to remember this sometimes, because stereotyping based on political viewpoints is so much easier.
This is such a great, vivid description. 15-20 years ago, I was very active in very small-stakes local games and tournaments. The guys there weren’t golfers or boaters; they were blue-collar dreamers who never imagined that a president would one day mouth all of their worst thoughts. I stopped playing only when I moved. The gang knew I was definitely not one of them in many significant ways. Yet, when I announced one night that I was leaving the area, I said goodbye with hugs and well wishes. I think what you are observing is what has always been possible, but is increasingly rare due to social media and extreme media outlets. At a distance, I can easily despise 98% of humanity. Up close, I am quickly reminded how each of us shares, even if we respond to those shared experiences differently. Those Obama hating poker players I left behind near the beginning of his presidency, who smoked a ton and drank Jager shots like they were frat brothers, were decent and rational in more ways than not. I struggle to remember this sometimes, because stereotyping based on political viewpoints is so much easier.