In late 2023, the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, Travis Kelce, starred in a Pfizer ad where he repeated the phrase “Two things at once!” several times, encouraging people to get both their COVID-19 booster and flu shot in a single pharmacy visit. Around the same time, we had a new puppy who loved to play with two toys at the same time. So we lovingly gave our puppy, Edison, the middle name “Travis” in honor of the ad featuring our hometown football hero. (Edison’s real full name is Edison Alfalfa Travis Joe Hartwell…Edison, to keep the theme as our previous Doodle was named Einstein; Alfalfa for the tuft of hair that always stands up on his head; and Joe, because he looks uncannily like our daughter’s childhood stuffed dog that she oddly named Joe. Names usually have a history…)

While Edison couldn’t have a clue about what is happening in the world today, the story behind his middle name is worthy of consideration when we aim to make sense of the mess we are in. As we become more and more polarized in our nation, I think we have lost our sense of being able to hold that two things can be true at once.

I can be for the liberation of the Iranian people from an authoritarian and violent regime, AND be against the US and Israel’s war on Iran.

I can be for the enforcement of immigration laws, AND be against cruel and disproportionate force against immigrants.

I can be for the separation of Church and State, AND hold deeply sacred personal beliefs in my Christian faith.

I can be for caution and security surrounding our election process, AND be against unnecessary, unproven barriers that disenfranchise voters.

I could go on. But I think you understand the point. We can hold two truths at once.

With 30-second TikTok videos, Instagram memes, and bots on Facebook, we have been baited into believing, and behaving as if, the only correct position is only Democrat or only Republican; far right or far left. We have lost too much of our capacity for nuance; for tension. We have lost our willingness to live and work and breathe in the messy middle.

I get it, though. The stakes feel really high. And they are. Many (most?) of us feel as if democracy is on the line. We are fearful for our freedoms, our rights, and our safety. We may sense we can’t afford to spend precious time in the weeds, appreciating nuance and finding common ground. The most expedient, the safest, thing to do is to choose a side, go deep, and dig in.

But now, more than ever, it’s crucial for us to individually name our beliefs. Decide where we stand. And also pause just long enough to consider how much of what we are told is black and white, we are really willing to beautifully allow to blend into soothing shades of gray.

I am not suggesting that there is room for compromise on everything or that we should loosen our convictions. I am, however, suggesting that we need to give each other space to see the bigger picture. Compassionate immigration enforcement is possible. Pressure on an authoritarian regime is possible without a war. Freedom of religion shouldn’t look even remotely close to theocracy.

In politics, they call it “Reaching across the aisle”. In real life, we call it…holding two things at once.

Disclaimer: My viewpoints are not necessarily reflective of my employer, or any local, regional or national organization that I belong to. As a matter of fact, I pretty much just speak for myself. Please keep that in mind.