How Stupid Can You Get?

Growing up I had a first cousin a few years older than me who I always loved. Allen's mother and my father were siblings. I loved his mother almost more than any other relative, and his sister was great too. They were a grand bunch, and I was always happy to see them. Later on, as adults, Allen and I reconnected from time to time, usually over the death of a family member. Eventually Facebook kept us in touch, and we chatted happily on the phone every few months.

I visited with Allen and his wife a couple of years ago on a trip to Florida and it was a heartwarming reunion, if nothing else. We had become different people, still our childhood ties and deep affections remained strong. But then I wrote a blog post that said something negative about a Democrat -- what else is new -- and my cousin's grown daughter, a knee-jerk liberal (and I do mean jerk) who I never met took offense and left a nasty comment. I returned her serve and next thing you know, Allen decided he could have nothing more to do with me because he had to "side with his daughter."

I often wonder if Allen, no spring chicken even then and not in the best health, is still alive. It's a shame that we were denied the opportunity to share our Golden Years because of petty differences about silly politicians to whom we mean nothing. For example, I'm pretty sure that Hillary Clinton will not be attending Allen's funeral. And now, neither will I.