Lessons Learned from a Liberal

On Sunday, I spent 7 hours with an old friend in San Francisco. At first glance, we would appear to be polar opposites. I arrived in my husband’s semi-truck, the quintessential redneck hicks from Utah. She has a gorgeous haircut , a great corporate job and she’s a *gasp* Democrat!!!! I was a little worried about what we’d talk about. I hadn’t seen her for 23 years and I didn’t want our first visit to turn into a heated political battle. I shouldn’t have worried. It was wonderful to see her again, and I am learning at 41 years of age, to embrace diversity. I learned a lot in my “Day with a Democrat”…..

1. Wear sensible shoes. I wore jeans and ropers. My boots get more comfortable every time I wear them. They’re two years old now and I love them, but they weren’t the best choice for walking along the piers. I learned to be prepared for opportunities that may arise. Dress in layers in case the weather changes, and wear sensible shoes in case you have the chance to do something amazing outdoors.

2. We went to a San Francisco Giants/LA Dodgers game and she suggested we try the garlic fries. I love what she said “The best thing about the garlic fries is that you get to enjoy them for three or four days”. Ha Ha! They were delicious, and the taste definitely lingered long after the fries were gone!

3. I went to San Francisco about ten years ago, and I hated it. I wondered what in the world people saw in that city. Seeing San Francisco through her eyes made me fall in love with the city. She told me about the architecture, about the history of her beloved Giants, and simply walking around the beautiful Bay made me see how people from every walk of life could find a home in San Francisco.

4. Who would have thought that I’d learn my greatest lesson about being a Christian on a Sunday at an MLB game, when I probably should have been at church? Lisa told me about her friend... a born-again Christian… and this is what she said about him “He could see a 400-pound woman in a bikini with pink hair and not bat an eye”. Beautiful! That is what being Christ-like is all about. It’s not about judging others and keeping score like so many of us “Latter Day Saints” do. We tend to be an arrogant, holier-than-though people and I vow to be less judgmental of others and more like Christ in my dealings with my fellow man.

5. You don’t have to eat carrots sticks and spend four hours a day in the gym to be physically fit. People in San Francisco eat everything from fried shrimp to artisan cheeses (Which she treated us to…delicious!), but incorporate fitness into their everyday lives. They walk, ride bikes, jog. Exercise is part of their daily lives, part of their social lives, and an essential means of transportation in a city where owning a vehicle is really more of a burden than a convenience. So if you see me walking to work, don’t offer me a ride, please. I’m incorporating fitness into my everyday life!