Anyone who knows me even slightly, knows I am a liberal. I did not say Democrat, but I did say liberal. And that should be in capital letters. I was once called a flaming liberal by a man I cared about at the time. Well, actually it was the "f" word, but not flaming. My response was to walk away. My mother always said to "call a spade, a spade." She also said a "A lie by any other name is still a lie." And "Be true to yourself because at the end of the day there is no one there, but you and your God." So I have tried to mostly follow what my momma said, and that night was no different. I must confess I felt a small tinge of sadness as I turned my back and walked away. I knew I would miss the little guy, but it had to be done for me to live with myself.
Democrats and Republicans can live together, but not Conservatives and Liberals. So I went off to my AIDS Walk and my Los Pobres and my Gay and Lesbian friends. I went to my UCC church that my sister in law had called "a den of iniquity". I frequented the soup kitchen and took water to the homeless. And Sherman went his way.
For 5 months he did what ever it is big, tall, bigoted men do. I heard not a word from nor about him. I did kind of miss him sometimes, but life is never what we want as much as what we get. I actually started dating a guy who, while he may not have approved of my Liberal stance, he accepted it. That was about all I could hope for so I went with that. Damn! I just realized that I can not remember his name!
Now those of you who know me, also know that I am a very simple minded woman and almost completely unable to lie. I have been called many things in my life, but never a liar. If I think something, I say it. If I feel something, I do it. This guy was not like that. He fawned over me like I was some sort of goddess, but it was not in his eyes. I did not see the acceptance and giving that needed to be there. Oh, he was free enough with the old checkbook, but the smile on his lips never reached his eyes, and that is very important to me. So when my phone rang that cold night right after Christmas and it was Sherman on the other end, I could see hope for life again. Intelligent conversation. Eating at the greasy spoon on Northern. And this time it was different.
He no longer watched Fox news 24/7.
He met with Sister Nancy at his home.
He carried my food up the stairs at the SCAP office when I held my lunches.
Those of you who know me know the story of Sherman and how he remained a Republican, but became a liberal. You know how he died and you know he proposed on his deathbed and changed his will to leave me everything he had in life. His clothes went to Los Pobres along with all the groceries he had rat holed. When his will was probated he gave me $45,000 for me to use "as I saw fit for my causes." And I did.
If you go back in this blog you can find a story called "Long Ago and Not Very Far Away." He knew I liked to write and he wanted me to write our story. So I did. Or just email me and I will send it to you in pdf. fomat. loumercer3@aol.com
So, back to my life after Trump. I tell you about Sherman because he would have been a Trump supporter before he met me. Now do not think for one moment that I am special. I am not. The only inference that sentence has is to make clear that I was the instrument that lead Sherman to explore the avenue that there were other beliefs out there and that the gays were actually human beings with human feelings. He learned that there was a wider world where "wet backs" labored in the fields to feed him and that homeless people slept under bridges because they had no where else to go. He learned that "soup kitchens" feed hungry people and missions feed hungry souls. He learned that a little kindness goes a long way and just because you think one way, does not mean everyone else does.
I hope we can "come together" after Trump, but right now my soul is tattered by a man that hates gays, women, Obama, immigrants, and apparently everyone that is not him. I did not make this up. He said it. He was very clear about the blacks. I know the day is coming when he is going to have to tell his supporters that there is not going to be a wall built between us and Mexico and I fear civil unrest when that day comes. What can we do?
It beats hell out of me!
Democrats and Republicans can live together, but not Conservatives and Liberals. So I went off to my AIDS Walk and my Los Pobres and my Gay and Lesbian friends. I went to my UCC church that my sister in law had called "a den of iniquity". I frequented the soup kitchen and took water to the homeless. And Sherman went his way.
For 5 months he did what ever it is big, tall, bigoted men do. I heard not a word from nor about him. I did kind of miss him sometimes, but life is never what we want as much as what we get. I actually started dating a guy who, while he may not have approved of my Liberal stance, he accepted it. That was about all I could hope for so I went with that. Damn! I just realized that I can not remember his name!
Now those of you who know me, also know that I am a very simple minded woman and almost completely unable to lie. I have been called many things in my life, but never a liar. If I think something, I say it. If I feel something, I do it. This guy was not like that. He fawned over me like I was some sort of goddess, but it was not in his eyes. I did not see the acceptance and giving that needed to be there. Oh, he was free enough with the old checkbook, but the smile on his lips never reached his eyes, and that is very important to me. So when my phone rang that cold night right after Christmas and it was Sherman on the other end, I could see hope for life again. Intelligent conversation. Eating at the greasy spoon on Northern. And this time it was different.
He no longer watched Fox news 24/7.
He met with Sister Nancy at his home.
He carried my food up the stairs at the SCAP office when I held my lunches.
Those of you who know me know the story of Sherman and how he remained a Republican, but became a liberal. You know how he died and you know he proposed on his deathbed and changed his will to leave me everything he had in life. His clothes went to Los Pobres along with all the groceries he had rat holed. When his will was probated he gave me $45,000 for me to use "as I saw fit for my causes." And I did.
If you go back in this blog you can find a story called "Long Ago and Not Very Far Away." He knew I liked to write and he wanted me to write our story. So I did. Or just email me and I will send it to you in pdf. fomat. loumercer3@aol.com
So, back to my life after Trump. I tell you about Sherman because he would have been a Trump supporter before he met me. Now do not think for one moment that I am special. I am not. The only inference that sentence has is to make clear that I was the instrument that lead Sherman to explore the avenue that there were other beliefs out there and that the gays were actually human beings with human feelings. He learned that there was a wider world where "wet backs" labored in the fields to feed him and that homeless people slept under bridges because they had no where else to go. He learned that "soup kitchens" feed hungry people and missions feed hungry souls. He learned that a little kindness goes a long way and just because you think one way, does not mean everyone else does.
I hope we can "come together" after Trump, but right now my soul is tattered by a man that hates gays, women, Obama, immigrants, and apparently everyone that is not him. I did not make this up. He said it. He was very clear about the blacks. I know the day is coming when he is going to have to tell his supporters that there is not going to be a wall built between us and Mexico and I fear civil unrest when that day comes. What can we do?
It beats hell out of me!
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