Dare to be Different

We all need to remember that just because something is different doesn't mean it is wrong. It just means it is different. We also need to remember that the differences we saw as a teenager amount to less of a difference the older we got. The kid that stood out in school blends into society quite well as an adult.

When you're young, age differences mean everything. Seniors just didn't hang out with freshmen. A high school girl dating a college man was a big deal. Later in life, age differences mean nothing. Many of the people I deal with on a day-to-day basis are much younger than I. Many of my good friends are ten to twenty years younger than I.

We've been watching a show called "30 Days." This was based on the super-size premise. Each episode takes you through 30 days of something. We've seen the search for youth. We've seen a man spend 30 days in the Muslim community. We've seen another all-American boy spend 30 days in a gay community. Each time, while we don't find actual converts; we experience a shift in thinking. This is the way it should be. The fact that you are a Muslim doesn't make you a terrorist. The fact that you are gay doesn't mean we don't have similar interests.

We ought not to condemn something simply because we don't understand it. If we don't understand it, we can increase our opportunities to learn more. Even in our writing, we can dare to be different. Maybe our own writing will present an opportunity for another to seek some answers or gain a better understanding.