Here's a little something you  might not know about me.  I really hate to offend people, by accident, or otherwise.  I'm the keeper of the peace.  (or I like to be).  I would rather just avoid the subject if I think it's going to cause a stir in someone.  Yet, on the other hand, I really, really want people to know what I stand for and believe in.  Basically because I'm kinda tired of the fact that a lot of people are not like me, and could care less if they offend anyone.  I remember my former neighbor down the street running for some State office awhile back and wanting me to put a sign in my yard for her.  I told her no because I didn't put signs up in my yard (because I didn't want to offend people....now let me digress here.  This is a town I had lived in my whole life.  I knew equal amounts of conservatives vs. liberals.  I didn't want to put a sign up in my yard for her because even though she was a Democrat, I knew absolutely nothing about her stand on issues, etc...and she only wanted me to put the sign up because she was my neighbor...and I didn't want to have to discuss her when I knew nothing about her.)  Anyway, I told her that in general I did not put signs in my yard for anyone. She said to me "Well, sometimes you have to just take a stand for something".  This was a good thing to say.  I think it made me vote for her.  I still didn't put the sign up.  She lost.  But that stuck with me...and probably much to her chagrin, I put a sign up the next city election for the candidate I liked the best.  Who incidentally lived down the street a block, but I had to go to him to get the sign.  But after that...well you know everyone in the neighborhood was asking me, and then my mom, about putting signs up in the yard.  But this is not the kind of "offending" I meant to write about.  It just merely illustrates my point as to why I hate offending people.  I feel bad if I'm not putting your damned sign up...even if I don't agree with your politics.  Lately it's been all about religion.  I have several friends that I...thanks to Facebook...have only now realized have a completely different take on religion and politics than I do.  I can't help but wonder how we got to this point still friends.  Oh, I know....because friendship throughout life gives us the opportunity to bond over things that have nothing to do with politics and religion.  It's sad to me as adults, as in middle aged adults, that we realize that these differences can separate us in strange ways, and the rosy glow of "yesteryear" is not so rosy after all.  But I don't really want to tell some of them "hey, you know I really don't need your opinion shoved down my throat" because first of all I would not do that to them about my views, and secondly I wouldn't want to offend them by telling them I didn't agree!  Am I the silliest person on the planet or what?  I need to take heed to that neighbor!  Sometimes you just gotta stand for something!  Sigh...it's going to take me awhile.  And I'm already 43.  Geesh.  Ah well, if I can just instill in my child that guns are bad, I suppose I shall be happy.

Changing the way my xanga page looks really took it out of me!  Now I remember why I let this go....   So if anyone is out there (Shah...I know you are...) tell me what you think of my new look.  Off to paint.