I saw my friend Suzie Humphreys on FOX News last night concerning the kiss seen around the world. Suzie and I have shared the stage many times and I always appreciate her good common sense. One of the women on her talk show was okay with The Kiss and the other person was not. Suzie’s comment was that we live in a country where we should be able to agree to disagree. I agree; this is the beauty of living in this country. I may not like what happened but there is no reason why I or anyone else who many agree or disagree, should be afraid to express themselves. The gay football kiss sparked many emotions in us all. I think the larger issue is if you disagree with someone or something, do you operate in high-principled thinking or low functioning reacting?
The joke is that I know many “open-minded” people who actually are only open-minded when agreed with.
I also know many closed-minded people who will not budge; at least you know where they stand! The unfortunate issue is how many cannot control their reactions. I believe how people react says volumes about their character and trumps their opinion. I have told my children time and time again, if your reaction is over the top, you more than likely have lost the argument.
I remember my Daddy, God love him, was not very open-minded man. The gay football kiss may have done him in. When long hair on boys was beginning to be all the rage, Daddy actually gave one of my suitors a $5.00 bill and told them to come back when he cut his hair. I thought I was going to die! Although my Daddy had many idiosyncrasies, he was also a big-hearted, generous man who was also very tender. We had different views but we loved and respected each other. I was not going to change him and he was not going to change me. Bless Daddy’s heart, his emotions many times got the best of him…he passed away and was only 72.
I think we would all do ourselves a favor to understand regardless of which side “of the field” you are on, there will always be another opposing person. Just like that football field, life is short but wide. Be the kind of person who runs the race well and can react with principled behavior when tackled.
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About Jane- Humorist, Amazon “Best-Selling” author and professional singer, Jane Jenkins Herlong, CSP finds the funny in dysfunction while entertaining with her comedy and singing heard on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and Pandora. Jane helps audiences confront negativity with grace and humor to increase performance and productivity as she did overcoming being labeled Dyslexic and other challenges. From the tomato fields of Johns Island, South Carolina to a Miss America runway and beyond, Jane’s funny original, Southern stories and award-winning singing helps audiences learn life-skills and the healing power of laughter when dealing with stressful issues thrown at their field of dreams. You will love this farm-girl’s Southern-style recipe for balancing your own personal journey with a sense of humor, hope and heaping helping of folksy wisdom. Along with entertaining audiences from coast to coast, Jane has performed at the legendary Radio City Music Hall sharing the stage with well-known personalities such as; Colin Powell, Rudolph Giuliana, Charles Stanley and the late Charlton Heston. Not bad for a Lowcountry farm girl! As a humorist, author, parody writer and recording artist, Jane’s products and digital downloads are featured Amazon and iTunes.
