I went to a party. There were some people there who I don't tend to identify with, and that's fine. But there were some things said- about certain racial groups, people with a certain sexual preference, and about women, which were deeply offensive to me.
Through a positively heroic assertion of self control, out of consideration for the host, who is a friend, no one ended up with my salad fork in their eyeball.
But I was really upset.
I always would have been really upset, because I always take comments like that personally. For the sake of myself, my friends, and people who are not my friends but who are still people, I find hatefulness like that to be not ok.
But this made me really upset. Like, still fuming the next day upset. So upset that I had to stop and think to myself, "Whoa. Why I am walking around all Eeyore with the thundercloud hanging over my head?"
And I figured it out, that is is Little One's fault, and Her changing my point of view from regular offended to mama-bear offended.
Because I am incensed, just furious, that these people would just go out and mess up Her world like that. Because how am I supposed to teach Her about Justice and Compassion and Tolerance and Love with crap like that being said all the time?! Because it's not fair that cruelty and meanness of that potency and worse should exist out there in the World where I can't protect Her forever. Because Her innocence is so fragile, and I know that those are the kind of words that will chip away at it as She grows up, and that kills me.
So partly I guess I'm just ranting at you poor Peanuts because I never did get the catharsis of a carefully aimed Salad fork. But I also just wanted to shout out at the Universe some how, and say, you know, C'mon, people. Let's straighten up a little here. There are Little One's out there. They deserve better.
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