You know, like that kid on Pinnochio...

I'd like to think of myself as a pretty even-keeled guy. Fair, kind, mild-mannered. Treating all people with respect, regardless of their ideology or background.

So why is it that on Sunday, I behaved like a... well...

Eating lunch with the Sunday school class. There's one guy in the class who seems to be pretty okay. Country boy. Knows volumes about plants of all types, soils, watering methods, fertilizers. But the thing is, he's one of these *silly* Republicans. The kind that still call them "freedom" fries. No exaggeration. He takes every possible opportunity to run down the Democratic presidential candidates. Now, don't misunderstand, I agree on most counts. But it's the same litany over and over and over. And he is personally boycotting Heinz ketchup, because of the obvious ties to the Kerry campaign.

I don't know. Having strong opinions is okay. Making a big deal about someone ordering a "French Dip" sandwich at Bennigans because it's called *french* is ridiculous.

So, due to something in the air or the Dr. Pepper (or possibly a little bit of male ego in the presence of the girls), I started...egging him on. Making stupid cracks under my breath, so that only the guy to my left could hear. The waiter's taking too long? "I'll bet he's French." Some plants he was pruning withered? "I'll bet their Democratic plants. Did you see if they leaned too far to the left?"

The guy's name is actually a different spelling of Kerry. I asked him (trying to get a laugh) if he was going to go by some other name until after November. "Oh, no, see mine's spelled this way [spells it], and that's totally different." Oh, okay--*that's* a relief.

It was stupid. It was juvenile. I was egging on an earnest, well-intentioned, politically-minded young man, because he is more zealous about his opinions than I am. And I thought that was dumb. I did all but say so.

I hope he didn't notice. It would have been hard not to, but I hope he didn't. It's not often that I act this way.

But yeah, well done me, for acting like a... well, you know.