conservative me

They say one becomes more conservative as one grows older.  Ideals of anarchy, communism, and sexual freedom are slowly but surely replaced by more "sensible" ideals of 401K accounts, quiet neighbors, and lasting relationships.  But, does that equate to conservative?

I don't consider myself to be conservative as the word is commonly used.  The word is steeped in right-wing rhetoric and no longer connotes what it means.  Literally, to conserve is to save or keep, or to not waste.  It's easy to get behind its proper usage.  Conserve energy, save money, protect the rain forest.  In that sense I am conservative.  Although I don't live by this standard, I believe in careful conservation of resources, including money and goods.

Then there's the question of lifestyle.  Is a house in the suburbs, with three cars and a golf course conservative?  Or is a cheap urban apartment conservative?  Using the proper definition of the word the apartment is more conservative.  I don't think most people would see someone who conserves resources because they are poor as "conservative."  On the other hand, the upper-middle-class "conservatives" waste resources left and right.  They are not conservative, they are consumer capitalists.  Big difference, in my book.

Fiscal conservation is a positive thing, in the proper context.  Saving up for retirement is conservative, and it's also common sense, having little to do with one's political leanings.  A fiscally conservative government will spend money carefully and wisely.  Our current government is not fiscally conservative by any stretch of the imagination.

There might be some confusion over the terms conservative versus conventional.  A conventional relationship might be considered to be a heterosexual monogamous pairing, because that is the cultural norm we are dealing with.  I don't think the word conservative can be applied to relationships with any kind of accuracy.  The desire for stable relationships with stable people is not conservative, it's healthy.

The trickier concept to grasp is that of the "conservative" personality.  There's a certain romanticism surrounding what you might call the unconventional presonality.  This often involves creativity and emotional instability, possibly to the extent of mental health issues - qualities I and most people I'm close to share to one degree or another.  To equate emotional stability with conservatism is faulty reasoning I think, but if conservative means stable and sound, then it's something I strive to maintain.

Socio-political conservatism is what gives the word its bad reputation.  The conservatives who want to cut domestic spending and reduce social programs are widely disliked by those with socialist leanings.  It's these republicans with their capitalist lifestyles and homogeneous personas who define what most people mean when they use the word.  As with any loaded descriptor it's a word to use cautiously and with qualifications, because any given person may have their own definition and set of prejudices about the word.