Wow. Wow?

Lately I've been upset/worried about all of the anti-Muslim bashing going on because of the proposed Islamic Center to be built two blocks from Ground Zero.  I preached about it. I FB'd about it, posting links to Jon Stewart and Huffington Post articles.  Trying not to overdo it but oy, it's so scary.  I feel another Krystalnacht coming ...


So anyway, a few weeks ago I posted about my elation at Prop H8te being overturned in CA, and an old friend from my HS Youth Group posted:  "so you apparently like this? interesting..."  I don't think he found it interesting at all, I think he found it disturbing (remember, I grew up in the REAL OC), but I decided not to respond.  Then yesterday I posted a link to a great story Jon Stewart did on the Daily Show regarding all of the Mosque BS and Fox News, and this morning he writes:  "are you left leaning or fully committed left handed player? Wow."  I replied to this one:  "Wow?"  I am hoping he'll respond and say what he REALLY thinks so we can talk more about it.


Now first of all, please don't run over to my FP page and comment on his comment. I don't want to start a war of words, I actually would love to engage in meaningful dialog with him, and maybe help him realize that someone he cared about and respected all through HS and College, who may be a "tad" liberal now, isn't a bad thing.  And perhaps I can offer him a different perspective than what he's used to, living as an upper-class SoCal Republican Presbyterian ... 


Why bother?  Well, I was madly in love with him all through high school, and most of college. But we were always "just friends," though very close friends.  Kinda brother/sister.  We met when I was in 9th grade at my church youth group, and became "just friends" very quickly.  He cared about me, prayed for me when I got RA, spent time with me, was a camp counselor for my HS kids when I was a youth director after college, etc. 


At the time I thought he looked like a younger Tom Selleck, who, for you young-ens, was hot at the time.  No, he was no George Clooney, but still, teh-hot for the 70's and 80's.  I was kind of cute too back then, and very skinny.  Here we are at my going away part in 1984, just before I left for Princeton.

Damn, I WAS skinny! Where did she go?  It looks like I ate her.  But I digress ...


Now back then I was not a conservative Republican -- I was already a Democrat by that time, more as rebellion than actual political savvy.  And whilst I was a good Christian girl (obviously, as I was about to give my life to Jesus and go to seminary in this picture) I was always more moderate in my faith beliefs and practices than the people at my church (where John and I met).  So basically we didn't always believe the same way even way back then, but I guess maybe he didn't really pay attention to that and, to be fair, I wasn't quite the flamer that I am now, liberally speaking.

But then I left the OC, and headed to the liberal East Coast.  And after that, well, I went to the Midwest but that's beside the point ... the point is, I GOT OUT OF ORANGE COUNTY, which is, to say the least, the conservative bastion of California and possibly the whole country.  Okay no, that would be most of Texas, but I digress again.  So I got out of the OC, looked around, saw there was a whole other world out here, and I embraced it, I swam in it, I danced in it, and my eyes and heart and mind were opened.  And though I was never a gay-basher in my youth, more of a "I don't get it" kind of gal, I became a gay-lover.  And while I was never a basher of non-Christians, more of a "well I bet God will still let them into heaven cuz God is cool that way" -- I became a universalist who isn't even sure there is a "God" and is pretty sure there is no heaven/hell.  Etc. Etc.


But Johnny-boy stayed in the OC, and did well for himself professionally/financially.  He has a beautiful wife, three kids, and a sail boat.  And he still goes to a conservative Presbyterian church -- not the church of our youth but one nearby.  He's living the dream.  And he thinks it's "interesting" and "wow-worthy" that I have different beliefs than he does.  I am pretty sure he's disappointed in me, and I am positive he disagrees with me.  But see, I know John.  Well, I knew 14-24 year old John.  And I knew his heart back then, and his brain.  And so I'm pretty sure that if we do have an open, respectful dialog, while I may not change his mind, I may just give him something to think about.  


So yeah, don't comment on his FB comments on my posts.  Let's see how it plays out.  Maybe it'll go nowhere -- maybe he'll stop responding and unfriend me.  Or maybe, just maybe, I can offer him a different perspective ...