Bunk Bed Nation

So now they have a bunk bed. Which raises the question: Will they – and we – survive?

Katie is on the top bunk, and Chelsea’s on the bottom. There are about a million stuffed animals on both levels, reading lights attached to the sides, and a mailbox fastened out of a Kleenex box attached to Katie’s upper bunk. (We have yet to notify the mailman that he needs to make deliveries inside the house now.) There are more pillows than either needs on each bunk, and water bottles perched on each girl’s rail.

It’s only been two nights … but so far, so good. There have been no fears of heights so far, no fallen ladders, and – especially – no middle-of-the-night fights.

When you’re growing up and sharing the same house and same bedroom, you’re bound to have more than a few skirmishes. Sometimes, it’s one smacking the other over who gets a toy. At other times, it’s a battle over the remote control. Still other times, it’s one not letting the other use her art supplies. Yesterday, the two were smearing mud on each other to show their disagreement over the mud pie-making process. Today, they were fighting over who got to point out the hidden pictures in the book we were reading.

They occupy the same living space for 17 out of every 24 hours during the weekdays, then for nearly every hour of their weekends. They don’t always share the same agenda, the same mood, or the same tastes in music. They get stir crazy sometimes during these winter days, and we watch them run around the house like untrained puppies. And yet, somehow, most of the time, they find a way to get along.

I was thinking about the girls’ relationship after reading several stories this weekend about the trials within America’s political process. There is a complete breakdown in cooperation between Democrats and Republicans, and there are citizens throughout this country who could not disagree more on so many critical issues facing the nation. Be it the economy, health care, the environment, immigration, gun control, abortion or national security, the lines seem to be drawn in permanent marker these days. While the president searches for ways to erase these lines, he finds obstructions everywhere he looks.

It used to be that the biggest rivalries in America were North Carolina-Duke and Yankees-Red Sox. Politics was always a fierce game, but inevitably there was a backroom compromise being made to bring folks together in Washington. The sharpest divisions were found within sports, and they faded from view once the games were over.

But in January of 2010, political compromise seems as distant as a world without the Internet. Today’s constant news updates, political blogs and tweets allow the rivalries to rage all day long, and while that may be more democratic in a way, it also leads to a lot more shouting.

I don’t know when it will calm down, but I’m certainly hoping it does. I’d love to see some civility, hear some dialogue, and feel some hope again. I’d like to know that people are listening, and not just hollering. I’d like to know that our media outlets are encouraging discussion, not division.

This all may seem as unlikely as a Yankees fan going out to dinner with a Red Sox fan. But actually, I’ve gone out to dinner with dozens of Boston fans. And I’ve had a great time, every time. We’ve even talked baseball, and by listening to their stories I’ve developed a deep appreciation for Boston’s history. I can even say I’ve come to admire a few Red Sox players. That actually feels good, and not at all traitorous.

It really is a nice bunk bed. The girls both look so comfortable in their little spaces. At night, the only sound we hear is the hiss of their humidifier. In the morning, they usually wake up together, pound down the stairs with their elephant feet, and – first test of the day – compromise on what kids’ show they’ll watch together.

I bring them some juice or a smoothie, and they sit together on the couch. They look up, say hi, then get back to their show. It seems that yesterday’s arguments are all forgotten. It’s a new day, and a time to work together.