Day #4: Sweet Talk

What can you talk about if you can't gossip?

I thought I could handle it.

I'd just stay focused on being nice, discussing ideas, and having intelligent conversations.

Little did I know that my old tragic flaw was going to do me in--

Morning.

I'm not a morning person.

I'm grumpy.
I'm irritable.
I'm quick to bite someone's head off.

So this morning--the first morning of my week where I open at work--I was trying to stay on my best behavior.

Then politics reared its ugly head.

Now, here's something I decided about the project:

Being nice doesn't mean bullshitting. It doesn't mean not expressing how I feel. It just means that if I happen to get into a fight, I have to fight fair.

So of course, I got into a fight.

While I was trying to avoid talking about people, I somehow wound up talking to two of the older people who come into my work about the state of the country and whose fault it was.

I did manage to avoid name-calling, but I still let my voice get a little loud at times.

When it was all said and done, I could tell they were ticked off at me. I guess that's a reasonable response to somehow categorically disagreeing with your belief system, but it was frustrating to me that I had stuck to the points, never gotten personal, and still came across looking like a jerk.

What am I supposed to do? Tell everyone they're right or just avoid potentially lethal conversation altogether?

I know people say stay away from religion and politics, but what does that leave?

Lasagna recipes and America's Got Talent?

FRIEND: Is that even a show anymore?
ME: No wonder the nicest people are always the quietest. They presumably have no personalities, so everyone can love them, because there's nothing to get offended by.
FRIEND: Sounds like you're being mean.
ME: I'm stating my disapproval with an unfortunate reoccurring situation in society.
FRIEND: You're bitching.
ME: I know.
FRIEND: And rationalizing.
ME: I KNOW!
FRIEND: Don't yell.
ME: Aaahhh!

I don't know if I can keep doing this.