Jody Breuer: Jam spreaders, it's time to reach across the table
Let’s Jam!
Do you know what liberal means? Liberal means generous, new, extra. For example, “She liberally applied jam to her toast.” You can picture in your mind exactly how much she applied.
Do you know what conservative means? Conservative means less, same, minimum. For example, “She conservatively applied jam to her toast.” You can picture in your mind exactly how much she applied.
Are you a liberal or a conservative jam spreader? This actually matters. Your affinity for jam usage affects how quickly the jam is gone or if it grows moldy. It affects those around you who observe the “normal” amount of jam application and compare their own preferences. The price of jam globally is impacted by exactly how much jam people spread on toast!
Jam identity is a nature, not nurture issue. No one is born knowing how much jam should be applied to toast. But we all at some point are affronted with the jam choice. Which are you? Does it matter who’s around when you spread? Is it second nature to spread so thin to make the jar last for months? Have you ever started with a conservative amount and then went back and added a liberal bolster of jam? What if your child asked for jam and toast? Would you layer it on hoping for wide eyes and a big smile or leave a large margin toward the edge to teach a lesson in saving some for others? Have you ever been shamed by an onlooker (who was not even going to eat your toast!) because of your toast/jam ration? I sure have.
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What happens when a liberal and a conservative sit at the same table and reach for the jam. Who goes first? Who keeps a straight face as toast is desecrated? Who comments to others at the table about spreading standards? Who asks questions? More. Less. Same. New. Generous. Minimum.
There will never be unity among jam spreaders. There’s no need pretending jam camps don’t exist. So are we left to civil upheaval? Are we raising fists for jars empty too soon?! Or downtrodden wondering why we aren’t worthy of sticky fingers caused by jam falling over the edge?
How do we bring together conservative and liberal jam spreaders WITHOUT triangulating a third evil. That’s the normal course of history … jam spreaders always unite AGAINST those who prefer peanut butter on toast. All you have to do is find a common enemy and jam doesn’t seem to matter. Is hatred for each other cured only by hatred of something else? (I think there’s strong evidence for such, but alas, that is fodder for another article.)
What if INSTEAD of common hatred for a greater evil, we used that same energy to reach across the table and ask for the other person to spread our jam? What if we tasted jam the way they like it for a meal or two? What if we asked why they spread the jam so thin or so thick?
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If you don’t ask those questions or sit at the table with your jam nemesis you’ll stay exactly where you are as a jam conservative or a jam liberal. However, if you respectfully interact with someone not like yourself you have the opportunity to enjoy different jams at different times for different reasons. Even liberal jam spreaders become conservative if they only dine with other liberals. They’re staying liberal. (Which is conservatism) Conservative jam spreaders become liberal when they’re open to new types of jam or new depths of fruit. (Which is liberalism)
Liberals will be coming up with new ideas to change the jam boundaries. Conservatives will be trying to preserve (hee, hee … jam joke) what they are afraid to lose. Neither is wrong. But both will tell you there is only one right way. Are you ready to explore the edges of the toast? Or save some for the rest of us? It’s a sticky situation, but we can spread kindness and compassion both ways.
Jody Breuer has been communicating and collaborating in Galesburg since 2008. Director of Business Development at Yemm Auto Group, mom/stepmom to 9 children, B.S. in Social Work from Illinois State University.
This article originally appeared on Galesburg Register-Mail: Jody Breuer: End liberal, conservative partisan political division
