i voted for Obama in the primaries and, assuming he’s the candidate in November, will do so in the general election.

i think that the way we could best support our troops is to get them out of Iraq, out of pointless danger manufactured by a lying president, as soon as possible.

i believe that i should have the right to marry my girlfriend.

but guess what? Lauren, the person who knows me best and with whom i’m completely in love, voted for Hillary. i’m guessing my dear old Grandpa will vote for McCain in November. i have friends who served in the military who believe that we need to “finish the job” in Iraq. and i know more than a few of my coworkers would be less than thrilled if i told them Lauren and I were going to tie the knot.

but when i’m around these people and these subjects come up, i don’t sharpen my arguments and ready for battle. i don’t even argue with them. i simply listen. if they ask my opinion, i give it, not spit it.

why? i don’t need anyone to be wrong for me to know what’s right for me. and i don’t need them to agree with me to justify myself.

if we’re really, truly comfortable with ourselves inside our beliefs, why do we need to convince others to be on our side?

we are who we are. we believe what we believe. we love who we love. each of us carries different values and different views of the world. the best i can do is figure out who i am, which has nothing to do with telling everyone else who they should be.

(a lesson only recently learned.)

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