"I DON'T UNDERSTAND YOU."

"I don't understand you," a friend of some 45 years said to me recently, referring to his difficulty in pinning down my political views.

I voted for Obama in 2008, but over the years have become critical (like many of his early supporters) at the gap between his rhetoric and results as President.

But in the past 6 months, I've dialed back my criticism and am, today, more open minded, more supportive, of him.

Why? Obamacare is proving to be a good thing. Universal, free child care is long overdue. The Keystone Pipeline is an environmentally dangerous, unneeded project. Undeniable facts show a growing economic riff between the rich and everyone else in America.

But I might change my mind about Obama again.

I'm not a liberal or a conservative. I don't like labels on people. I spend at least 3 hours a day reading and listening to a wide range of news and opinion stories, from The Guardian to The Atlantic, The New Yorker to The New York Times, the BBC World Service to the Battle Creek Enquirer.

I'll never be too old to learn. Never too old to change.

And I don't care if that leads to being misunderstood.