Think New Thoughts

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It's pretty easy to stay in one spot in your mind.

I had lunch with a friend the other day and we took a little time to talk about the Trump phenomenon that has taken the country by hold.

It's a crazy thing, actually, if you really break it down because there has been a pretty sweeping change in the political landscape. By calling detractors names and smashing through all sorts of barriers Trump has brought a new reality to how we see politicians.

Which has brought changes.

Good, bad or indifferent we are now looking at things differently. We'll find out if it was a change that was needed, but it certainly is different, right?

Thinking new thoughts is actually not one of my strong points.

I have kind of cemented things in my mind and to me, 'that's how it should be.'

Are we always right?

Where do our unwavering convictions come from?

Is change of thought even possible?

"Why are you always right?" My son Sam asked me one day.

"I don't know," I said. "That's just how it works out most of the time."

But there is a real chasm out there.

What has been lost in some of the political debating is the idea that we are all Americans and we all supposedly want the same things.

Right?

As I went through lunch that day I thought about seeing things from the Trump side.

Sadly, I didn't make much progress on that front.

The name-calling and the overall scheme has kind of lost me, but I at least considered all of it.

Perhaps that is all we need to do to move forward a little.

Asking one another and then listening without prejudice might just move the discussion forward.

But the name-calling doesn't seem to be reserved to one side of the political aisle.

Everyone is guilty.

"You actually AREN'T ALWAYS right," Sam reminded.

And that's an important thing to remember.

Even if he's dead wrong.

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