My partner and I have been getting more and more cynical when it comes to the Christmas holidays as of late, and I suspect that many here share that experience. It has gotten to the point that we have no tree, and because of money issues this year, no presents that we needed to purchase. But the one thing that is still mandatory is the annual family phone calls to talk about mundane topics that have very little meaning in my life as of late.
I was putting off the task of calling my father and stepmother, when the phone rang, and I answered it with no little amount of dread. As expected, I heard the very familiar voice of my father on the other end of the line as he wished us both a Merry Christmas and asked about how we were going to celebrate the day. I made some non-committal noises and asked the same of him knowing full well his answer. He was going to work, since he would earn time and half for a holiday. Let me tell you that my father has worked just about every major holiday since I can remember for that same reason, and I am going on 33.
At that exact moment, something in mind clicked. Snapped. Disconnected. And I blurted out for the first time what I had been dying to ask him since the election of Shrub II. Are you going to be voting for that bastard again? Immediately, I realized my mistake. I knew that I broken the unspoken taboo that we had been observing for years (at least since I came out as both being gay AND liberal.) To me, the fact that he was to work on this holiest of holidays was proof that his life-long devotion to the Republican Party had failed him and his family. It was proof that his commitment was not being returned in any tangible manner and that even he must have begun to doubt his own party affiliation.
How I regret asking that question... Even more, I regret asking his opinion of Dean. Apparently what he has "heard" is enough that he does not "like" him. Of course, I continued the discussion (and later heard from my sister that he called it "an argument") until he said that he did not want to talk politics because it was Christmas, and besides he needed to ready for work. All I wanted to do is engage him in discourse about his political beliefs and how they could be translated into goals. Naturally, I came across yet again as the flaming (in multiple meanings of the word) liberal who stepped over the invisible line. I have yet to call back, but at least my sister has called me to tell me that she got shit-faced for New Year's. Congrats to her!
I think my father was too busy working that night to have enjoyed it much himself.