My dad and I have not always agreed on politics. He is very liberal in some ways but not so much in other ways. We have had many heated family debates in my adult life. Nothing relationship threatening because he is a pretty even keeled guy who can have a two-sided discussion. I always say it’s because he’s privileged enough not to be emotionally invested.
For as long as I can remember, he has always been pretty cryptic about who ultimately gets his vote, preferring to keep it private. Or be playful. Or torture us. Or he wants to avoid a fight. My sister and I are never quite sure. Mike has always been convinced he votes Republican. Or third party. It’s a bit of a family mystery.
So, you can imagine my absolute shock when I pulled up to his house over the weekend and saw his first ever political yard sign.
My dad then told me that the other day, he got thrown out of a store because he complained to the manager that the staff weren’t wearing masks. He’s like a reverse Karen! And after he got thrown out, he reported them to a cop standing outside. Then he left his first ever yelp review. 1 Star.
It occured to me that as a 75 year old man who as had heart issues in the past, the mishandling of the Coronavirus is something my dad feels is affecting him personally. He stays mainly at home with his wife. He has to wear masks around his grandchildren. He can no longer travel or do any of the things he was looking forward to doing in his later years. Politics is no longer an intellectual argument. He’s emotionally invested.
Can I just say, if this is my dad reaching his slightly unhinged diehard political old man stage, I am so glad to learn we are finally on the same team.