Think, thank, thunk...

A few weeks ago, while my wife and I were sitting at a local restaurant enjoying an evening out over a nice meal, I couldn't help overhearing a conversation taking place at a table near ours.

It wasn't that I was trying to eavesdrop, it's just that someone wasn't exercising his inside voice like he perhaps should have been. The loud, outspoken younger man (I'm guessing mid-to-late 20s) was dominating a conversation he was having with what appeared to be his wife and her parents. About all the words the other three could get in were one- and two-word responses.

Anyway, as the Man-Who-Loved-His-Own-Voice continued his oration at his table a shot of President Obama speaking at a podium appeared on one of the overhead TVs.

This young man snickered at the sight of Mr. President and then mumbled something incomprehensible, but obviously against our Commander-In-Chief which I couldn't make out exactly despite my now best attempts at maximizing my eavesdropping position but his body English said a lot. He then threw up his arms and spewed forth, "I know I didn't vote for him and none of my friends did either."

It was at that moment that I sort of felt pity for that young man. Not for the fact he didn't vote for Obama, because to each their own I say.

It was for the fact he claimed that out of all the people he knew, not one person voted for the President who won an actual nation-wide election. While I definitely think the young man was exaggerating, and I hope he was, it did bring up a particular interesting thought: If you surround yourself with only people who think and believe like you, wouldn't life be pretty damned dull and boring?

While I tend to lean to the left (although I've become a tad more upright as I've aged), my life wouldn't be nearly as colorful or fulfilling if I didn't have some friends/colleagues who tilted the other way. It helps you maintain some balance, and let's face it, some sense of reality in the fact neither side is always right, despite their claims and campaign ads to the contrary.

One of my absolutely best and long-time friends is as conservative as they come, but our differences in that aspect have never come even close to the point where it's ruined our relationship. Sure we have fun at each other's expense from time to time, and rubbed it in when "America has spoken" toward one side or the other after a November election (we've both had our time in the sun, so to speak).

In all the years I've known him, which dates back to our childhood, this friend has remained strong and consistent in his beliefs and convictions and that's one of his most endearing qualities for which I have the utmost admiration. Even more so is we've gotten to the point in our lives where, despite our differences, we share a mutual respect for each other that has made our friendship probably even stronger than it was when we were teens.

I have several others in my life I care about a lot who have differing views ideologically and politically, but without them my life would have a huge void. And besides, I like to think we learn a little something from each other from time to time.

I guess you could say the moral of this story is to surround yourself with people in your life who respect you for how you think, not what you think. Because in the end those attending your funeral won't be the ones who think like you, it's the ones who want to thank you.