I once had the honour of interviewing author Caitlin Flanagan for Literary Mama. It was one of those interviews that stuck with me. Though I remain bearish on Ms. Flanagan's book and her politics, I have become a fan of Ms. Flanagan and still think of some of the comments she made from time to time.
One of the things we discussed was why she felt drawn to the Republican party. She discussed how they were -- contrary to what one might read in the press -- a very inclusive party. They offered what she described as "a big tent." Through the years, my tent has become small. When one is at home with small children, one tends to deal a lot with the same people: the moms on the playground, the moms at the school, and the few good friends who I made the effort to see even when I was exhausted. Over time, I tended to hang out with people with similar aged kids, who were in the same socio-economic situation as me, and who shared many of the same beliefs.
Small tent.
One of the keys to bliss, I have come to believe, is having a big tent. Over the past few months, I've been working to befriend (and re-friend) many different people. Whereas I used to say no to a lot of invitations, I now try to say yes. I talk to people more -- opting for the checkout line rather than self scan. It's not easy -- I'm naturally quite introverted -- but finding out how other people are walking their paths is fascinating and makes me happier.
This year, we are working on increasing the size of the tent.
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