Hi Kimberly and thank you as always for this service.
I am curious as to what your Ogham thinks about my relationship with old friends from college.
I had stayed in touch with some college friends over the years, but starting in 2016 I started to feel increasingly alienated from them. You can probably guess why. First the TDS made me uncomfortable - even though I never even liked Trump, there was something just off about their seething vitriol. Then they went in whole hog for Cootie Mania (they never asked my jab status and I never volunteered, so they don't even know that I'm one of the Unclean). And along the way they all seemed to become increasingly woke and to support things that I find frankly appalling (trans ideology that sexualizes and pushes gender confusion on minors and allows biological men to steal women's sports titles and scholarships, medical mandates that violate bodily autonomy, etc.). Years ago, we were all on what used to be the political left, and as far as I can tell, my positions have changed very little - but they sort of sprinted off the woke deep end without me. That's what it feels like anyway. A lot of us have been there, I imagine.
My question is, how should I handle this? Should I accept their efforts to re-connect or avoid them? If the former what do I do if their deranged nonsense comes up - do I bite my tongue and smile, or push back? I don't want to get into pointless fights with people, but I also don't know how much tongue-biting I can do.
The whole thing is just....wearisome. On one hand, I feel like just washing my hands of these people, but on the other hand, it really does feel sometimes like they've been ensorcelled in some way and maybe I shouldn't write them off but should stick around as a voice of sanity should the enchantment ever wear off, or maybe for some other reason I can't see right now.
no subject
I am curious as to what your Ogham thinks about my relationship with old friends from college.
I had stayed in touch with some college friends over the years, but starting in 2016 I started to feel increasingly alienated from them. You can probably guess why. First the TDS made me uncomfortable - even though I never even liked Trump, there was something just off about their seething vitriol. Then they went in whole hog for Cootie Mania (they never asked my jab status and I never volunteered, so they don't even know that I'm one of the Unclean). And along the way they all seemed to become increasingly woke and to support things that I find frankly appalling (trans ideology that sexualizes and pushes gender confusion on minors and allows biological men to steal women's sports titles and scholarships, medical mandates that violate bodily autonomy, etc.). Years ago, we were all on what used to be the political left, and as far as I can tell, my positions have changed very little - but they sort of sprinted off the woke deep end without me. That's what it feels like anyway. A lot of us have been there, I imagine.
My question is, how should I handle this? Should I accept their efforts to re-connect or avoid them? If the former what do I do if their deranged nonsense comes up - do I bite my tongue and smile, or push back? I don't want to get into pointless fights with people, but I also don't know how much tongue-biting I can do.
The whole thing is just....wearisome. On one hand, I feel like just washing my hands of these people, but on the other hand, it really does feel sometimes like they've been ensorcelled in some way and maybe I shouldn't write them off but should stick around as a voice of sanity should the enchantment ever wear off, or maybe for some other reason I can't see right now.
Does your Ogham have any advice for me?