I think I'm in big trouble with the Significant Other. The nicest thing she called me was a pissant - that may be a clue.
We went to the Indian Cultural Fair and food fest today. To kick everything off there was a an announcement "that in keeping with our Shik religion Mr. So-and-so will offer a "shabat" [as close phonetically as I can get it] which seemed to be a sort of prayer. While this was being chanted by the leader, a whole bunch of kids sat in a line on either side of him holding white posterboards with symbols of about 15 different religions (christian cross, jewish star, muslim cresent & star, tao gateway, rosacrucian [at a loss how to describe it, but I've seen it before], etc.).
After our meal and deciding that neither of us cared for the decible level or high pitch of the music, we departed. I made a comment about the display of the religious symbols and got a response that bothers me. The SO asked why they had all those "religious signs" there, and I turned the question back at her for a response. (OK, maybe the Socratic method was not a great choice at that moment.) Anyhow, the SO floundered a bit and then came up empty-handed. She asked me to provide wisdom and understanding.
I asked if she knew what the various signs represented, and she said she could recognize 3 - christian cross, jewish star & muslim cresent & star. I encouraged her to consider what the others might be, and was both surprised and taken aback when she said she had no idea, but would guess they were symbols of whatever specific religion the folks hosting the festival were. (OK, awkward construction. Send me to the Grammar Nazis for correction.)
I asked her if she had heard the announcement of the "shabat" and she said yes and figured it was some sort of prayer. I asked her if she knew what religion most of the people there were, and the SO said she guessed they were Hindu, being as this was an Indian Cultural Festival and all. Things started to go south when I asked if she had noticed most of the men wore turbans which also covered their beards, and all the young boys were wearing some sort of cloth over their hair, which was up in a ball on the top of their head, and if that meant anything to her.
OK, the SO has had a bad cold for the last 10 days, and today was the first day up & about for more than an hour at a stretch. But could someone not know the difference between Hindu & Sihk and recognize one from another? I asked the SO [no, not is those exact words] and asked if she knew anything about the current geopolitics of India and the Sihks [yes, in those exact words].
I find out the SO does not know a Sihk from a Souix, and thinks the USA is currently on great terms with both India & Pakistan.
I am floored! I am aghast, befudled and flummoxed.
Is my expectation too high that "everybody over the age of 21, being a college graduate, who at least watches the 6 PM TV News" would know about the Sihk independence movement, the current state of distrust between Pakistan and the USA over Islamo-terrorists, and be able to figure out that a display of multiculturalism <*spit*> and diversity <*spit*> would be a "good thing" in light of the current world situation?
Right now my mental state could be described as exasperated, astonished, and disgusted. I know I probably know more than the SO about a lot of things - I'm 3 years older (her point) & have the advantage of having grown up travelling around the world, as well as just seeing more of both the upper and lower ends of human nature in action. But was I right to "expect" [that got me the "pissant" retort] that the SO should have worked out that a display of multiculturalism <*spit*> and diversity <*spit*> would be a "good thing" in light of the current world situation? I read Bill Bennett's Cultural Intelligence and thought he was missing a few things but agreed that his list was a good minimum beginning point.
Please talk to me. Am I an eruidite pissant, are my expectations way too high, or is there a possible other option?
I know I am in trouble with the SO. Chocolate, back & foot rubs, and a night of chick flicks are not going to cure that situation, so do not go there.
stay safe.
skidmark