A MILLENNIAL’S POV
POLITICS, OPINIONS AND LEARNING TO LISTEN By Kimberly Elliot Kimberly Elliot is an associate with a Toronto-based marketing agency
There are lot of things I wish I were better at – long
husband sometimes gives me a look. The kind of look
distance running, baking, compartmentalizing and
Hubbell would give to Katie in The Way We Were – a
keeping an orchid alive are all top of mind. But the
look that, depending on the specifics, says, ”Can we
most important thing I have worked tirelessly to
please just keep it light?” or ”Try not to bite anyone’s
get better at through adulthood is disagreeing with
head off.” Yes, I can be a bit impassioned, aggressive
people. Disagreeing with people can be really, really
even, in expressing my views. I’m working on it –
hard for me and I have accepted that maintaining
and part of working on it has meant an attempt at
grace and composure through a heated disagreement
deprogramming my left of left-leaning values and
is likely to be a lifelong battle.
trying to act as my own devil’s advocate. Turns out,
This is especially true in the case of politics. When the topic comes up among friends or family, my
08
SIDEONE APRIL 2021
that’s easier said than done. I grew up in a household where political discussion
