A lot of people tell me that I'm a very fair person. I'm often the peacemaker in a group of people. I hate conflict and contrasting ideas make my head spin. I tend to not take sides in arguments--and that means practically any argument, whether political, social, or otherwise. And to all of those who have told me that I really should take a side...stop.

Coupled with the fact that I don't like to follow politics in general, I also don't get the point of wanting to vote under a labeled party. The terms Democrat or Republican seem to give off a certain connotation when different people hear it. I always feel like voting for a candidate is based upon liking the ideas that he or she is putting forth. I did vote in the last election for the reason that I liked what a certain candidate had to say about pretty important issues to me. But it doesn't mean that I would vote for that person again in another election, or that I would go with absolutely any other candidate under the same party. I don't like to talk about my political views with anyone, not because I'm embarrassed of them or anything, but because it just isn't an important part of my life. I wish people would realize that it's my choice to not pick a political party; even though I generally side with one specific party, I'm never going to declare myself as such. And if I don't want to vote for anyone in a certain year, that is also my own decision. I'm not a Democrat, I'm not a Republican, and I'm not an Independent. I'm a US citizen with a right to vote and certain morals that do not put me under an umbrella.

I also don't have a personal religion. I identify as an agnostic, which basically means that I believe there is no way to physically prove the presence or absence of a god. Again, a very liminal stance on a huge issue. I was born into a Jewish family and went to Hebrew school for 4 years. It was all fine, and then it came time to start getting lessons for my Bat Mitzvah. At the age of 12, I didn't really feel so connected to the Jewish traditions and stories that I'd been hearing of my ancestors. Not that I wanted to forget about them or that I didn't want to identify with them. I feel emotional when I hear of the plight of the Jews and the way they were mistreated in their past--but it never really felt like I fit in. It dawned on me that if I was going to read a Torah portion in front of a bunch of people, it would be a lot of words that I wouldn't understand. I wouldn't be able to make sense of the entire passage. I'd have a summary, but never a word for word translation. And why would I want to read something in a ceremony that commemorates a personal milestone if I couldn't connect to it? To be honest, the food is where I feel most connected. A lot of people are surprised when they hear that I'm technically Jewish. For some reason, they tell me "you don't seem Jewish." But what does seem Jewish? How do you know when someone is a Jew unless they tell you? Sure, last names can give it away. But what does religion mean in terms of who a person is, and what they like to do? This isn't to say that I think religion is bad; I admire people who follow a religion and are very devoted to their God. Sometimes I make a wish at 11:11 that I hope comes true, but that has faded away in the past couple of years.

All of this isn't to say that I feel people should never take a stance on an issue. I'm trying to bring to light that there are places where it's okay to not have a certain view about something. There is plenty that I definitely take a side on, and those tend to be more specific and sensitive issues that I don't want to bring up here. But for the more general aspects in life, I don't feel an inclination to choose a side. I can live in a liminal state about things that I don't really feel too strongly for or against, and have that work for me. And if it doesn't work for you, then that is okay.