Everyone Has an Opinion and This is Mine

I am a grandmother. I marched against the Viet Nam War, I was part of the counterculture and believed in peace and love and the oneness of humankind. I still do. I am conscious of what I read and watch as far as the media goes. I am aware the media is used to control and brainwash and separate. I also see there are sources that are intelligent and educational as well. With what is going on now we have a huge undertaking. Voting is the very least we can do but we MUST vote.

Right after the last presidential election, I expressed my dismay at the outcome to one of my acquaintances on social media. This person asked me why I was so upset. I couldn’t even respond at first. Clearly, this person had a different perspective and that’s OK. It’s still hard for me to comprehend because, in my mind, this goes beyond the party lines of politics. It is a moral issue or the lack of it in this case of the POTUS.

I have been on this planet long enough to recognize toxic behavior. The man’s attitude towards women, people of color, gays, and the handicapped; or anyone who dares oppose him is so blatant and cruel. There are those who seem to accept or ignore these behaviors even among those that claim to be Christian. I don’t get it.

I don’t claim to be an expert but this president's policies on the environment, on immigration, and his friendships with the dictators of Russia and South Korea are alarming, are they not? This is my opinion for what it’s worth.

I am learning not to engage in debate, at least not heated ones because I don’t think it is fruitful. I don’t mind a peaceful, intelligent exchange of ideas but try as I might I still don’t understand those that support this noxious behavior from a man who holds this powerful position in our country.

A Feminine Perspective

Something remarkable has happened.  Two women I know have each published a memoir.  One woman is near my oldest daughter’s age and the other, like myself is a grandmother.  As any writer knows, writing is hard work, to say the least, a memoir especially. In my opinion, these memoirs are groundbreaking because until now the writings about the Love Family have been written by observers , journalists, and historians, not by people who dedicated years to living beliefs and ideals that were initially presented.

I believe in the power of story. It is so important right now, especially for women.  Too long those of us who have been subject to emotional and physical trauma or manipulation have kept silent.  People have asked me over the years (in reference to both my abusive husband and the Love Family) “Why didn’t you just leave?” I was married to an abusive man for several years before I ran in fear and the memory of that particular night is etched into my mind and has changed my life forever.  I spent most of my adult life in the Love Family even after I recognized the financial and social discrepancies, the manipulation, and the patriarchy. Why I stayed and hesitated to express myself until years later is a complicated issue. Those who have not walked in those shoes may never understand.

The memoirs of my friends describe the journeys that led them to the Family and the lives that ensued.  There is a common thread that weaves those of us who lived together during those years. There are also as many variations of stories and experiences as there were people. A person’s truth is a person’s truth.

From my perspective women in the Family were not valued and respected, simply put.  Or maybe we were just overshadowed by the rule of serving the whole first, core families second.  Certainly, we were not encouraged to speak out. It was more important not to make waves or ask questions. As ideal as it seemed in the beginning, the Family morphed into a microcosm of the world at large with the same problems.  I did not live in fear there but as a woman, I felt repressed and manipulated as the years passed.

There are those who had a different experience. Some aspects of a  big family were positive and I am a better person with a wealth of experience. I gleaned some lasting friends and the children that we raised together have bonds to this day. I learned a lot about my self and about human nature.  I have to believe that we did change the world for the better for a time.

Below are links to the memoirs:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/understanding-israel/a-husband-and-three-lovers/paperback/product-21868699.html

https://www.amazon.com/Counterculture-Crossover-Growing-Love-Family/dp/1732240019/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=