Looks like the polarization of America has finally infiltrated my own backyard - my daughter is now dating a gun-toting, Ron Paul t-shirt-wearing, liberal-disliking (I won't say hating - he's also very religious) boyfriend. As I may have mentioned, my kid can be a little attracted to extremes. Her last boyfriend was a pot-smoking hippie type who liked nothing better than blowing off his part-time job, grabbing his camera and guitar, and heading out to commune with nature. While his dream job was running a medical marijuana farm in Oregon, her new beau has two actual jobs and an overwhelming desire to help people. It doesn't exactly zero out an NRA affiliation but, I'll admit, it's admirable and definitely a step up from the selfish, all-about-me types she's been attracted to in the past.
As someone who can't quite pick a political side (other than a firm belief that the 2nd Amendment does not refer to everyone having permission to walk around with semi-automatic weapons), I'm a little torn about how I feel about this relationship. On the one hand, I'm thrilled that she's happy; that she's found someone who treats her with respect and kindness. He can wear all the incendiary t-shirts he wants if he continues to be good to my girl. But I also know how hard it is to maintain a relationship with someone who has such passionate opinions about everything. It's not easy to hear your own voice when drowned out by fevered filibusters. She's come so far in her journey to discover who she is, I'm worried she might set aside her own convictions to please him; I'm concerned that her opinions won't be valued.
But I know I'm getting ahead of myself. They've just been dating for a month, one very intense month. The whole thing may burn itself out before he even gets the chance to slap a "Guns Don't Kill People, People Kill People" sticker on her bumper. And, if it doesn't, I'll just have to do my homework, polish my debating skills, and give him a run for his money.
After all, I've been known to have a few opinions of my own.
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