Whether by choice or by design, I am fairly naive when it comes to politics and history. I have been content the last 30 some odd years to wonder around life not really caring unless it directly affected me. I don't remember politics being discussed in my home growing up. I'm sure they were. My father was a history buff and watched the news and read the paper religiously. My mother has educated herself on politics and is very knowledgeable and intelligent on these matters. I just don't remember it. It is funny, I do remember being in Elementary school riding the bus home and someone saying "if Reagan wins the election he is going to force everyone who rides motorcycles to wear a helmet". I remember repeating this at home and my parents laughing but that is the extent of it. (As a side note you must remember that at that time helmets were not required and seat belts while riding in a car were not either so such a claim was just horrifying).
Today, politics is a topic of conversation in my house on a daily basis and has been for a long time. Admittedly, I didn't get involved in the conversations unless it was a topic I was really familiar with such as Women's rights. Budget deficit and other topics of that nature were of no interest to me. I was too busy trying to raise of family of five kids on limited income. My husband, I think, did a wonderful job of challenging our children. He firmly believes that they shouldn't believe what we do just because, they need to defend their position in an intelligent manner. So to participate in the political discussions they had better know that of which they speak or stay silent. I usually stayed silent.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not uneducated. I am not social inept. I am fairly intelligent and I am the first to investigate those pesky claims on facebook with Snopes or FactChecker. I just really had no interest in the political arena and how it affected my daily life, well that is until about five years ago. Oh don't get me wrong, when our savings was demolished by the stock market crash the year before our oldest was to leave for college I certainly cared and was willing to place blame. Every single time I had to pay $4.00 or more for a gallon of milk I was willing to place blame. However, I really was only interested in how it all directly affected me and not how it affected everyone else or how it affect the "whole". I'd research and read about the reason for the price increase but that was the extent of it. I would then shrug and move on and fork over my $4.00 four or five times a week like it was the HEB cashiers fault. It was just easier. However, recently something changed and after this year, I sort of wish I had stayed with that philosophy I'd be chewing a lot less tums and Tylenol if I had.
Today's political climate; the information technology of news 24/7; my lack of kids at home and a job outside of the home and the outright lies used by polticial candidates has made it hard for me to not get involved and voice my opinion. Right or wrong my naive status is gone and as much as I want it back it won't do any good. Now I just have to find the balance between giving myself a stroke and putting my new found knowledge and political interest to use. How to do that though I'm not sure. Right now I just yell at the TV but I'm hoping I evolve out of that mode sometime soon.
