Hi Earl,

I’m super liberal. My extended family is not. Guess who I’m having dinner with for Thanksgiving? Yeah. My ultra-conservative, turkey-shooting cousins. We had Thanksgiving dinner together last year too. I won’t go into the details. But I will tell you I only made it through two bites before I had to leave the table. Judging from my aunt’s most recent Facebook post, I assume their political views haven’t changed. Neither have mine. How do I make it through dinner this year without storming off, throwing my fork through the wall, or stabbing it in my leg?

Okay, let me know. Thanks.

Hello,

My first (and most urgent) request in that you don’t impale yourself with a fork. You will most likely not be able to stick to any of the advice I’m about to give if you can’t stand up or retain all of your blood.

At dinner, assuming you can still feel your limbs, here is what I would encourage you to do: First, don’t try to change any deep rooted beliefs. Nobody is going to change their opinion on abortion while stuffing their face with mashed potatoes. Just try to get through the meal without bringing up politics at all. Bring some personal anecdotes (that are in no way political) to keep in your back pocket to pull out If the conversation seems to be drifting towards that direction.

But if all else fails and you great aunt won’t stop talking about her views on immigration while drowning her stuffing in gravy, feel free to get up and do the dishes or take a suspiciously long bathroom break. If at all possible return to the table later in the meal. If not, just keep scrubbing.

Enjoy the turkey,

Earl Grey