Reclaiming Jumbo

[snurri]

My mom saw the sticker on my laptop, of a pink elephant wearing sunglasses, and asked why I had it. "I like elephants," I said. "It makes me think you're a Republican," she said. Now, my mom knows that I am not a Republican. We talk politics all the time, in the half-hysterical way of people who agree with each other and can't believe that EVERYONE doesn't. (On the few topics where we do disagree, we generally say very little. I can't figure out if this is a Norwegian thing, a German thing, an Irish thing, or just a Thing That Is Done In My Family.)

Anyway, I wonder if this is the message I am sending to people when I take my laptop to a coffee shop to try to fool everyone. "I support the president! Ask me how!" That would explain some of the looks.

What upsets me most is that the elephants do not deserve this. They have always had female presidents, they have socialized medicine, childcare, and education, and they hold all property in common. In political terms they are radical matriarchal socialists, which makes them pretty much too far left to be Democrats, let alone Republicans.

I don't know what the sunglasses mean, though.

Comments

[timalyne.livejournal.com]

Even then...I'd be more likely to think you were if it was a dignified cartoon of a grey elephant. I think Republicans generally take themselves too seriously to go with pink, sunglasses or even stickers on their laptops...maybe? I'm sure I'm making unreasonable assumptions, something I try to avoid, but still.

And, I wouldn't just know you by your laptop, but by your glasses (or not), your hair, your clothes, what you smell like...if I were in the same room, I mean, your body language, your choice of drink, whether or not you make eye contact or smile. Of course, none of those particularly designates Republican or not, but they do assist in assessing whether or not you are approachable and other judgments could come later. But that's just me.

[snurri.livejournal.com]

I appreciate your holistic approach. I suppose most of us do this, though not always consciously.