Years ago my husband and I stumbled on a concept that has helped our relationship thrive: We accept each other's faults.
It's not that we don't notice them. We just ignore them.But I have one fault my husband just doesn't understand: I don't know whether I'm a Democrat or a Republican.
In his mind, everyone is either one or the other - like you're either right-handed or left-handed, tall or short, or late or on time.
I guess I just don't get it. Where does all that loyalty and devotion to one political party come from? In my husband's family, it seems to be part of genetic programming that they vote Republican. They may not agree with all the views of a candidate, but it doesn't matter. They vote Republican.
But the whole idea of supporting someone no matter what, just because he or she belongs to one political party, just confuses me. I just can't bring myself to do that.
So then I take a different line of thinking. After I review in my mind what various politicians have or have not accomplished in the past few years, I just can't get excited about any of them. And if I can't get behind any politician, how can I get behind his or her political party?
"Just decide," my husband says. "You have to be one or the other."
I think he could take my being a Democrat rather than my indecisiveness. But I can't really put my heart into that either.
Then along comes a candidate like Ross Perot. He appeals to me. I wouldn't have to vote for one party or the other.
"But what do you know about him?" my husband asks.
"He's a billionaire."
"That doesn't mean anything," he says.
I don't know. That seems like a pretty good qualification to me.
"He's willing to spend his own money on his campaign," I say.
"That doesn't mean anything," Ron replies.
I don't know. There's something appealing about fighting the good fight and not asking for donations.
"What else do you know about him?" Ron asks me.
"Not much," I have to admit. "But it's beginning to feel like less is more." I don't know if I can bear to read another expose on another candidate.