Thursday, October 25, 2012

Why politics and me don't mix.

I wasn't raised to be very political. My dad was a steel worker for most of my childhood, so we claimed to be democrats (don't labor unions and democrats go hand in hand?) My dad would usually vote for the democratic candidate and my mom would vote for whoever she knew would not win. And since we all lived in a historically republican state, neither of their votes ever counted. We didn't talk often about politics or have particularly strong feelings about them, with the exception of my dad every now and then swearing and cursing over some political maneuver that a politician did that he found idiotic. And once my dad stopped being a steel worker, he mostly voted for the person rather than the party.

In my last semester at UVSC in 1997, I took a class in ethics. It talked about things like abortion and euthanasia and other important but controversial topics. As part of my assignments I had to form an opinion on each topic and write a paper on it. I learned a lot from these assignments - the reading was always fascinating, and the teacher didn't care what your opinion was as long as you had one and knew why you believed it. I came up with my own reasons for being pro-this or anti-that (not that I want to state those reasons here. Another post, another day.)

Which brings me around to this year's political races. I hates them, precious. I can't wait for them to be over. My lackadaisical political upbringing coupled with my belief in certain ways on some topics and my lack of believing that any politician, black, white, mormon, republican or democrat can really understand my world view leaves me perplexed. I don't want to vote for any of them. But I firmly believe in voting and making my voice count.  And I know that the beliefs that I have put me firmly at odds with both candidates.

When I watched Romney attack Obama during the debates, I wanted to cringe. When I heard Obama attack Romney in a snippet on NRP this morning I want to argue with him. I often find myself firmly agreeing with the one being attacked even when I don't particularly like either the attacker or the attackee. And I don't really agree with their policies (what is Romney's 5 point plan? How will Obamacare affect my job and my insurance coverage in 2013?) To me, they are both the 7th grader announcing over the intercom that if elected student body president, they will make recess 10 minutes longer and the cafeteria serve hot dogs and pizza topped with doughnuts 5 days a week. Basically: if elected, they can't do everything. They all have congress to get past with any political agenda they might have. True, some things they want will happen. But a lot of them won't.

Utah has early voting. I want to go and vote tomorrow, but I find myself in the same position I was in 4 years ago when I firmly and without regret voted for Ralph Nader. Again this year I find myself not wanting to be responsible for putting either person in power. I know that my vote doesn't really count - the popular vote isn't what elects a president in this country, and my state will go to Romney for more reasons than I can say in this post. But I don't feel that I can punch the chad next to either candidate and be satisfied that I made my voice count.

My best friend in college was a firm disciple of one party. She knew the hows and whys and whatfors of politics. To her and her family, their party was the Right party. Anything else was Wrong. I find I cannot be that way about politics (or really anything. I am a moral relativist, which gets me into trouble in questions of morality in many areas of my life - I refuse to believe that the way I see life is the only way - there are too many people in this world to all think the same way.) And I know that many of you dear readers know who you want to vote for and why and might find my wavering frustrating. I don't so much want to start a political debate here as just express how uncertain I feel going into this election. My disdain for politics and the way that politicians run our country. My desire to hide in the corner and chew my hair when acquaintances express their firm political beliefs one way or the other and I simply don't agree but don't have a really good reason for not agreeing other than I don't care. I think that a person in my socioeconomic position is screwed one way or the other. I'm not rich and I'm not poor and so no one running is really in my corner anyway, regardless of their speeches directed toward the "middle class."

Sorry, I know this post is neither profound, well-written, or super intelligent. But I've been wanting to document my feelings about this year's race for a while now and I found time tonight. It's okay if you disagree. It's okay if you agree. Let's still be friends. Please don't hate me because I have a hard time voting for either of the people who are going to win.

I'm Becky Kump, and I approved this message.

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

September. It really existed!

Oh, bloggy, bloggy, blog. I have so neglected you this summer. I've blogged 5 times since Ragnar. In June. Lame.

But, as my title stated, September existed. We lived through all 30 days of it. This is what we did:

* September 1 saw the last of the soda for me. I have a goal to run sorta fast and I'm not going to have soda be the reason I don't make that goal.

* I was asked to sing in the choir for our stake conference in two weeks. I pretty much laughed in the guy's face, but I agreed to show up for 5 weeks of practice. I firmly sat with the crowd labeling themselves "altos" because my voice doesn't go near the notes that are required for the seats labeled "sopranos." (It's actually kind of fun. I stalk a girl named Shelly from my old ward who has a voice that I can both hear and follow the entire practice. She suffers me sitting next to her. And singing in the chapel with a choir sounds pretty cool. I can't vouch that the choir will sound good on October 14 because of me, but I'll show up and sing.)

* I bought a dress. It is so cute and I love it and I wish I could wear it everyday. (I haven't bought a dress that I really liked in years.) I've avoided Macy's since it came to Utah 10 or so years ago, but now that it's open really close to my work I wandered over there one day during lunch and found 3 things I had to have. One was the dress and the other two (a layered ruffle skirt and ruched shirt) I bought and had Shane set aside for me for Christmas. (I'm terrible at buying things for myself.) (But I do like nice things. And I love the oranges and browns and blacks this fall.)

* My kids moved up a belt in karate. Thomas is a blue, Ben is a high yellow. And, best of all: their class is at the same time so I'm not running back and forth to karate 3 times every time they have class.

* I ran my fastest mile. I've been trying to beat my old fastest mile since March.

* I helped my mom one morning organize her garage. We had a lot of fun together and I loved hanging out with her and helping her do something that made a difference. She can park in her garage for the first time in almost 2 years. Wahoo!!

* While visiting my mom, I went on the same (almost) run that I did on the day my dad died. I was missing him and thinking of that day when I realized that I was running in front of my uncle's house. I stopped and ended up seeing both of my dad's brothers. They probably thought I was looney standing there in running clothes, but it was so wonderful to see them. They are living reminders to me of my dad and I can't see them without being grateful for themselves and for my dad. They remind me so much of my dad it makes my heart hurt. But I love them all the same. I hugged both of them and told them I loved them, which is something I've never really done in my life, but since I could hug them and I can't my dad, I took the opportunity. I think it made my dad happy.

* I ran 55 miles, swam 4 or so times, and did one ZWOW workout that had me limping for 3 days.

* Finished Enna Burning. And maybe another book but I can't really remember (I am getting old!)

* Went on a lovely hike with Shane and the boys to the Albion Basin in Little Cottonwood Canyon. The weather was perfect and the kids were pretty good about hiking, so it was a good day.






* Visited the Brigham City Temple open house. It was insane - we went the last Friday night before it ended and it took us 3 hours. It was very pretty and I loved seeing the inside of another temple. I didn't take a single picture - yay me.


* Finished Downton Abbey season 2. I'd put it off because I didn't want it to be over (dumb, I know!) and so I finally sat down and finished it one afternoon. But: blessings come to those who wait because that very next Sunday my friend on Facebook put a perfectly legal link to the new episodes that are being aired in England. I get my Downton Abbey fix every Sunday night now - my life is now complete.

* Watched all three Lord of the Rings extended version DVDs with my kids and husband. They were our Friday and Saturday night entertainment for all the weekends in Septemeber. It was fun to go back and watch them. I was super uncomfortable watching the fighting scenes with my kids, and I made Ben hide his eyes a couple of times but it was still awesome. Although, on the very last night, just as we were watching Frodo and Sam and the rest head to the Grey Havens to send off the ship, Ben said "What are these movies about?" It made me laugh (even though I was also crying - can't watch Frodo leave Middle Earth without crying even though I hate him as a character). What are they about? Just friendship and loyalty and courage and doing the impossible and hoping for something when it has zero chance of coming to pass and good and evil and perseverance. Oh, and the Aragorn eye candy isn't bad either. That's all.

* Sucessfully avoided my 20 year class reunion. I did however, run by my high school on what happened to be the day that the reunion started and took a self-portrait. It was as good of a class reunion as I've ever had or will ever need. Go Devils! Long live SHS!


* Made shepherd's pie. Twice. And no one gagged. Mmm, it's so good!

So did you go to your class reunions?