Paganism and “Passing”

I am completely overwhelmed with what I need to do for tomorrow. Turkey is thawed in the fridge, I’m trying to figure out if I have enough serving dishes and figure out the whole chair situation. I’m sure many of you are doing the same thing. Do I have enough sage? Will there be traffic? Is someone in the family going to take issue with me this year? Do I need to de-Pagan myself, my house, my kids before having dinner with family?

I have something on my mind that’s kind of appropriate to the season. Do you “pass” as non-Pagan? Can you talk the church talk? When called upon can you make an appropriate grace that makes everyone else comfortable? Can you fall into the speech patterns and attitudes of mainstream religion and the overculture when needed?

Can you do this for things outside of Paganism? Can you “pass” for straight? For liberal? For conservative? Does your accent return when you go home? Do you mimic the accent of your hosts?

If you have a disability, can you compensate enough to “pass” for fully able? Can you present yourself as normal and fully functional even when you’re not?

Tomorrow, many of us will be busy “passing” in some way or other. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing. But it’s something to think about. How we “pass,” when we “pass,” and what we “pass” as is important to be mindful of. Think about that over your turkey and gravy. About the benefits and drawbacks of “passing.” Does your ability to “pass” make people less able to see you? Less likely to hear you when you have a problem? What would happen if you just stopped “passing?”

In other news, Peter Dybing, someone I’d vote the least likely to “front,” is going to participate in Occupy Ft. Lauderdale, and it’s sounding like arrests may be made as local police plan to shut down the demonstration today. He’s going to try to keep us updated via Facebook, but there’s always a chance he may be spending Thanksgiving in jail. A lot of non-violent protesters may be spending Thanksgiving in jail. We should keep them in our hearts, maybe set out a plate for them to include them in spirit.