Music To My Ears

As many of you know, I have two hobbies: football and singing. To be clear, I don't play football - but I love to watch it, follow it, and attempt to be an armchair expert on it.  Singing, on the other hand, is a participatory sport for me. I have been in choruses and ensembles most of my life, and am very happy to have found a wonderful community chorus here in the Charlottesville area. 

One of the best things about singing in a community chorus is the fellowship. Being part of a group that makes music together can be transporting -- and spending time with people who share your love of music is uplifting. 

Even when you don't share the same political views.

In fact, I'm pretty sure I am in the (tiny) conservative minority when it comes to politics in my chorus. Most of the members are from Charlottesville or nearby Crozet (which, if you can imagine it, is even more bougie than Charlottesville). But singing draws us together and wipes away our political differences, at least for a couple of hours every Tuesday night. The joy of music warms our hearts and prompts us to smile at our fellow singers in happy harmony.  We hardly ever talk about politics at rehearsal (thankfully), but every once in a while, current events rears its ugly head. Even then, we treat each other with respect and genuine affection. 

I had a similar experience when I was on the board of a religious organization in the DC area. While I was one of the very few conservatives in the congregation - and on the board - I enjoyed a genuine friendship with many of the members.

I confess that sometimes I have taken a stealth approach to cross-political fellowship. I keep my politics under my hat at first, while smiling a lot, volunteering for everything, and making myself extremely useful. By the time people discover that I am a conservative, it's too late to hate me! 

At the risk of sounding syrupy (you can blame it on the pecan pie), I am convinced there are still opportunities for reaching across the divide, especially if we remember that every person is imperfect, most importantly ourselves -- and that we would all do well to spend a bit more time serving and a bit less time judging. 

One of my youngest daughter's favorite teachers was her high school Spanish teacher. This teacher was amazing, she somehow got hundreds of teenagers to discuss and debate current events in Spanish regularly.  I know this teacher was politically liberal herself, but she encouraged all points of view - as long as they were spoken in Spanish!  She affectionately called my daughter her little "Republicana," and my daughter was one of her favorite students. 

My point is (once again): We can do this. We can love each other despite our differences. We can love our friends, even when they are wrong.  And hope they will return the favor. But we must actively search for chances to do this. We must spend time with people who don't share our views, and find something that bridges the gap.  Music? Hiking? Cooking? Volunteering? Quilting? Docenting? There are countless hobbies to choose from - all of which offer the chance for fellowship and are not connected to politics. 

As we consider all that we have to be thankful for, let's recommit to the spirit of community. Let's remember that what unites most of us is far greater than what divides us. By all means, we must stay passionately true to our principles --  including respect for the dignity of every individual. Perhaps we can convince those around us to respect that as well. We don't have to agree on all things - we most surely will not always agree - but we sorely need a healthy dose of common joy. 

Here's to fellowship with family and friends across the political divide. Happy Thanksgiving.