September 25th, 2008 will be a momentous day. I will turn 26. In celebration of this milestone, Coldstone has decided to give away free ice cream between the hours of 5-8pm. Additionally, NBC has chosen to begin airing the seasons of some of the only television shows I actually watch - The Office and 30 Rock. Last, but of course, not least (since it's the point of everything I'm about to say), September 25th is exactly 40 days before the 2008 presidential election.
Now, I know you're probably thinking, "Don't talk about politics. I hate it when people who don't know the first thing about politics start talking about politics." Me too. In fact, I don't even like it when people who do know about politics start talking about it. I don't like that every source available for political news presence a biased opinion. (This raises a whole different set of philosophical questions about if anything we know or are told is bias-free, but let's not get into that). And yet, it's everywhere, and like an accident on the freeway, I just can't stop fixating on it.
More than anything, I hate the person that I become when I start thinking about politics. I get angry at the people who disagree with me. I think of all the ways I can passive-aggressively point out how wrong they are. I think nasty thoughts about people who are my friends.
And so I am embarking on a bit of a fast. For the 40 days leading up to November 4th, I am going to attempt to avoid as many forms of biased political opinions as I possibly can. Newspapers, online news, television (even *tear* The Daily Show), friends' opinions, etc. Instead, I will try to spend at least 30 min. every day researching what candidates (national and local, Democrat, Republican, and 3rd party) are saying about themselves. I will try to avoid listening to what they're saying about their opponent(s), and only hear what they have to offer. I will spend time thinking and praying about these men and women as they prepare to lead. By the end of the 40 days, I hope have made a decision about how to cast my vote (or how to abstain from casting my vote).
So far, everyone I've talked to about this experiment has been skeptical if it's possible. So am I. But I need to try. I can't allow the anger and resentment that arises from politics take hold of me. If you'd like to join me in my fast, let me know, it would be great to take this journey with others.
