Royal Purple

Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: Opinion

LaBarbera [Click to enlarge]

My neighbor is a really great guy. When he and his wife first moved in three and a half years ago we became instant friends. We've spent many a warm, sunny fall afternoon in our backyards talking about the Packers, life and his two teenage sons ability to find trouble on Friday nights. His wife is always first to toss me an icy cold Diet Coke. We've watched movies together, shared about a bajillion laughs at social gatherings around the neighborhood and have shared many a great burger hot off our backyard grill.

We've even managed to keep each others' grass cut and snow shoveled while one of us was away on business or vacation.

We've talked about plenty of things over the years. However, it seems since the day they moved in we've never talked about politics. I never knew his political affiliation, who he voted for in any election or who he wanted to win the Presidential election this November. We came close to political talk during the Republican National Convention when I said, "That Sarah Palin's kinda hot, huh?"

"I suppose for someone your age she is," he said. We had a good laugh. A day later he says to me, "Damn, Obama's ears are kinda big, huh?"

"They're not like Dumbo the elephant or anything, but, yeah, I guess they're kind of big." I said. We had a couple of laughs about candidates from both parties and that was the end of it. Then it was back to why he would rather watch the Packers on Lambeau on Sunday night than go see the Eagles concert at the Bradley Center that same evening.

We've become so much more than neighbors, we've grown into close friends.

Last Thursday he and his wife were awesome neighbors. Last Friday I realized he's a pompous ass and she's the most unreasonable person I've ever spoken too. Saturday we stopped speaking to each other. How did such a great relationship go south so quickly? Easy! He put a yard sign for the man he wants to be president in his front yard.

"Are you kidding me?" I jovially shouted across the driveway as I pulled my lawnmower out of the garage. "That's a joke right? You don't really want him to win." GAME ON! Our conversation went from inquisitive to politically polarizing in about thirty seconds.

Continued...

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