Notes from Perry Street: Why Can’t This Presidential Election be like Chip’s Group
By JOHN A. WINTERS, Publisher
I am sitting on my back porch at one of my favorite desks. It is Sunday, Oct. 27.
Within a few days – Nov. 5 – we will have a newly elected president.
Or not.
I pray I am wrong on the “or not.” But based on the last election …
More than anything, I want a return to civility. I want us to agree to disagree and still be able to work together, eat together and pray together regardless of whom you voted for in the presidential election.
The Little Black Dress, aka Corby, recently posted on social media her personal opinions on a rather controversial topic that even the presidential candidates disagree on. About half of the commenters gave her an “atta girl.” Those opposed went nuclear. I can’t recall reading so much hate from “friends.” Corby finally took the posts down because she was mortified. I was appalled by the comments.
I want us to be like Chip’s Group. It’s an assortment of rather questionable characters who get together Saturday mornings to play golf. These degenerates, er, gentlemen, include yours truly, guys in banking and real estate and Delta and occupations in-between. Some are retired, many served in the military, some have grandkids and some are driving kids to school.
Politics are not a big part of the conversation, other than the occasionally “can you believe what she/he just said/did?” For those four hours, or longer depending on who is in front of you, we play and talk golf or what is going on in the non-political world.
We all know who is voting for who and what the two or three key reasons are. We don’t all agree, even on why we are voting for a particular candidate. And we still manage to get along, and offer help when needed.
Like last Saturday. We gathered in the dining room to see which group won the front nine holes, the back nine holes, and the overall. For some reason, even though a lot of these guys make their living using numbers, it takes forever some days to figure who won who’s $8.
It is during this time, when bragging rights are bragged about, and the non-winners (how politically correct I am) promise to avenge themselves next week, that several will order some food.
One such individual, let’s just call him “Bob W.” fell into the “I’m ordering some food” category. For the life of me, I can’t remember what Bob ordered. But I know he grabbed a bottle of ketchup or catsup, depending on how you were brought up.
Let’s just say it was a new bottle. You could hear that “snap” of air when Bob opened it – after getting a friend to help him because “man this is really on here tight.”
And for some reason, while I am enjoying my wings, I watch Bob try to get the ketchup/catsup out. And I watch … and watch … and watch. To the point that finally I go, “geez Bob, just squeeze the bottle already.”
“Shut up Winters, I know it’s a glass bottle,” he said. Wow, just trying to help.
And so everyone else popped in their two cents or whatever the going rate based on inflation is.
“Hit it on the number … hit the bottom of it … knock it on its side on the counter … yeah, do that squeeze thing … just shake it … put the cap on and tap it on the counter …”
To his credit, Bob tries the knife and later a straw to try and draw the ketchup/catsup out. As an aside, does a straw have one or two holes?
I don’t remember the exact method that resulted in a successful pour, but Bob got his ketchup/catsup. Cue the Hallelujah Chorus!
The bottom line is a group of guys did their best to help Bob with his frustration. They came from different backgrounds, ethnicity, political views, wealth and a host of other categories.
The Saturday after the election, this same group will be hitting the links. I am pretty confident there will be more discussion on what club to hit to the green rather than who won and why.
And it will be civil, even when the name “Harris” or “Trump” is used. And that is the way it should be.
