Roche Limitations

By Iain Aschendale · May 31, 2020 · ·
  1. I accidentally put something mildly political onto my "safe for everyone" Facebook. Nothing like the howling I do on the other 18 identities I maintain (or is it more? Or less? I'll never tell), but it was spotted by....

    ....my father, on one of his twice-annual visits to the page.

    My father and I aren't on the same page politically.

    We're not in the same chapter, nor the same book. Not even the same author. The libraries that carry his book wouldn't allow mine and vice versa.

    But we try to do a gentle dance around each other because after all, we are still son and father.

    It's one of the reasons I maintain that identity, to be able to pass the time with people whom I wouldn't otherwise voluntarily give the time of day.

    But he won't be back on for a few months at least.

    A series of minor quakes.

    It'll blow over.

Comments

  1. GrahamLewis
    Appreciate him while you can, the time will come you won't be able to disagree with him.
  2. Iain Aschendale
    I don't want to turn this into a back and forth, but when you're married to a foreigner it's pretty hard to smile and nod when the anti-immigrant sentiments start to spew forth. "Of course I don't mean her, she's different, but you gotta understand--"

    No, I don't gotta. How about them sportsballers Dad?
  3. Steve Rivers
    My dad is much the same, Iain, so I wholeheartedly sympathize. I tried a "you dont comment on anything I say politically and I wont you" approach, but he ends up doing it anyway. It feels so weird because it was the first time in my life that it was me asking to set ground rules, and it being the parent that constantly breaks them, heh.

    Bite that tongue Iain, bite it hard. I've nearly bitten through mine, maybe we need to use a substitute...
  4. GrahamLewis
    Maybe I spoke too easily. Iain. I was fortunate that my dad had a lot of opinions I didn't accept, but his "human" side always overcame his politics. I married an Asian woman and he accepted her fully, despite any theoretical preconceptions. My best friend and first girlfriend were both Roman Catholic, and despite his theoretically strong anti-Catholic upbringing, he accepted them fully. And so on. Long hair and pot in the '60s, and so on. So it was easier for me.

    It wasn't easy for either of us, even then.

    It's only that I'd give almost anything to have any interaction with him, and it sounds like you are doing the right thing by avoiding arguments.
      Iain Aschendale likes this.
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