Real life drama makes me uncomfortable. It always has.
I can watch it on tv with no problem. In fact, some of my favorite shows are dramatic too a fault (stop wreaking havoc on my whacked-out-hormonal-emotions, Grey's!), and I eat them up with a spoon. But drama in my own life? Ugh. No thank you.
Maybe it's the confrontations. I don't like being forced to confront other people. I'm a girl, so of course I'd rather talk it over with my girlfriends, cry a little, and then plot revenge that I'll never take. But, if someone gets in my face about something I freeze. For example, last week at work I had a family member of a patient confront me about how he feels some aspects of his wife's care are absolutely unacceptable. What did I do? I passed his concerns on to my manager and hoped the whole thing would blow over.
And in my life, I equate controversy with drama. I don't like controversy. It makes me incredibly uncomfortable. I choose to stand where I choose to stand, and I don't like someone telling me I should choose otherwise. On this note, I would like to take a moment to share my feelings on what has become a very hot-button issue this week. You all know what's coming... President Packer's general conference talk.
It saddens me to see the amount of anti-Mormon talk, tweet, blog, what-have-you that has come about because of this. I would like to remind you all that President Packer was not speaking on a new topic. The proclamation to the family was released 15 years ago, and this has been an issue addressed many times before and since then.
I believe fully that our prophets and apostles are men of God, chosen by God to serve in his place on this earth. I believe that they very prayerfully, and carefully, prepare the talks that they will give to us at conference time. We live in a world of turmoil. We live in a world where everything we know is being changed. I believe this talk was meant as a warning to us: change is not always for the best.
Our gospel is not a gospel of hate. Hating any group of people because they are different, in whatever way, is not Heavenly Father's way. It is Satan's way. We are all entitled to our own feelings on any particular subject, but I feel that spreading hate is not an effective way to share your cause. Hate will just breed more hate.
So, believe what you will. Practice what you will. Even hate what you will. I know where I stand on this subject, and I ask you, for the sake of our friendship, to please keep your controversial feelings to yourself.