Individual

I read the news as much as anyone. It just makes me wonder?

Why is all this stuff news worthy? I sincerely do not understand some of the topics. Maybe you can help?

First is all this talk about LBGTQ and probably XYZ. I understand all this political posturing to help people ‘come out’ to be their selves, but why should be? Why wasn’t this being done all along? Whatever your sexual preference is shouldn’t matter. You don’t ask your boss is he’s wearing silk thongs? You don’t ask your preacher if he is into leather? You don’t ask your mother and father their preferences? They must have some because here you are.

Sure I understand it was not always tolerant to allow others to fashion themselves as they wanted to. Were we so scared of someone who was just a bit different than we were to create such prejudices? Was this just another bigotry excuse like our persecution of people of different color?

I always assume that the general public understands all this is just silly, but I keep being proven wrong. Why should our government have to create laws to do what our religions teach?

Why should a transgender have to sue an organization or a school to go to whatever bathroom they want? What is a bathroom for? I don’t know about you but I didn’t have a blue and a pink bathroom growing up. We all just shared.

Now there is a Black History month? Why? Isn’t every month black history month? Isn’t every month white history month? Isn’t every month red and blue and green history month? Why do we define ourselves into categories that have been historically abused or persecuted? Isn’t this just history? Are there enough months?

If I was oppressed, and many of us were, do I want to celebrate it? Remember it and learn from it? Sure, but have a special month set aside to remind us we have become better to each other? Does this continue to flame our divisiveness? New causes and movements can constantly remind us we still have far to go, but why?

Let’s get over ourselves. Sure mankind (and I use that word with some awkward feeling) has messed up through history. We as a species have traveled a rough road to get to where we are now. We fought (and fight) wars for no real purpose except to create more powerful weapons and kill more of our own species. We work hard to put people on another planet and then leave our trash.

Each of us is going through the political season with a crew of the best this United States of America has to offer. It is pretty scary that these folks are applying for the most powerful position in our nation and we, the people, are listening to it. Then I hear some of the fellow countrymen and women (see I don’t forget) and their responses to some ridiculous speech and that scares me even more. I must be living in a cocoon?

We all seem to want something, but what? Each and every one of us is an individual. We have only one view of our existence here. We are influenced by others but it is up to each one of us to interpret those influences, suggestions, demands, requirements and process them to become who we are – as an individual.

So if someone colors his or her hair green, what does that matter? It deserves perhaps a smile of something different but no harm. If someone gets a tattoo and you don’t approve of a tattoo there is no problem. They will have to live with it, not you.

If someone dresses differently as a sign of his or her beliefs, why should we be offended? What difference does a person’s faith in a superior being that no one can prove or disprove matter? Whatever it is helps them deal with their lives. If their beliefs turn them to violence, it is the violence that breaks the law, not the belief. For most of the ‘religions’ I’ve read about are based on good and peace and getting along with one another.

Fairly said, there seems to be a group of us, our species, who are angry and frustrated and will use any excuse to strike out. As a civilized community, we don’t use the excuse of religion or color or dress to classify this person as a threat to the rest of the community and create laws to avoid the harm. While these laws fill our prisons we look the other way at the atrocities in less published areas.

Each of us is an individual. We join groups and conform to the majority for our own safety. As a member of a group we must adhere to the rules and requirements so everyone can agree to get along. We can, as a group, achieve bigger task than each of us individually can accomplish, but at what cost?

I’m the one that's gonna have to die 
when it’s my time to die
So let me live my life the way I want to.