I joined the The Washington County Public Affairs Forum about eight years ago.

They have a speaker every Monday who talks about politics and current events that impact Washington County Oregon.    I have pretty much attended every talk since I started going.

This is a little peculiar since I am not all that passionate about politics.    I have my political views, of course, but I've observed over the years that many of the ideas I've cherished for so long don't really work in the real world.

This has been humbling.    It's also opened my mind to other points of view, which, of course, can be aggravating to friends who are true believers.

My real interest is in history and philosophy, which is pretty much politics viewed from a distance.    I see the forum as a place where philosophies clash and history plays itself out.

In other words, I approach it as entertainment.