Same Difference. Remember that saying? "Whatever, same difference". It is such a strange thing to say. The actual meaning is: the difference between the two things is not important.
Sometimes I think that we get so caught up in our little differences. They don't always seem so little - I know. But they are. What is life about? Why are we here? Those are the big things - the important things -that most of us would agree on, I think. The other things are our same differences. The little things. Our labels.
Christian or Buddhist? Same difference. It's how you treat others that matters. Kindness.
Breast or Bottle? Same difference. It's giving your child a nutritious start. Love.
Stay at Home or Work? Same difference. It's being the best parent that you can be. Balance.
Go Out or Stay In? Same difference. It's about giving yourself the experiences in life that you desire. Living.
City or Nature? Same difference. It's where you feel most alive that you gravitate. Pleasure.
Climb the Ladder or Go Out on a Limb? Same difference. It's about doing what you love. Both have risks. Success.
Best Friend or Social Butterfly? Same difference. It's about finding people that you enjoy spending time with. Laughter.
Point is we need not get caught up on the little things that make us different. Let's focus on what makes us the same. We all want the right to experience Kindness, Love, Balance, Life, Pleasure, Success, Laughter. The joys of life. I am not saying that my idealistic view means someday we should all agree on the details that make life joyful. I am saying that what makes life good for me does not necessarily make it good for another and that is Awesome! I can appreciate that we are all trying to find our way towards Joy.
Look at this list of some things that make my life good. Do we have similarities? How exciting! Do we have differences? How intriguing! Can we be friends?
Nature - yes even leeches, ticks and mucky sand. I LOVE it!
God - My energy Source.
My husband - Loves Me despite OUR same differences... can't ask for anything more.
My kids - Three. All breast fed until I couldn't handle being so attached.
My family
My friends
Being able to stay home with the kids (mostly)
Sending my kids to public schools with diversity - white kids, black kids, Hispanic kids, rich kids, poor kids, angry kids, happy kids, loud kids, quiet kids, good readers, poor readers... DIVERSITY! :)
Having my own diverse friends and acquaintances
All-day Kindergarten - Thank God! And I would Love Year Round School Too!
My dogs - one big, one little
Internet - one of my very best friends
Lipstick - makeup I never go without
Breaks from my kids - Yay!
Trips with friends - Magical!
Girls Night Out - Beyond Words! Keeps me Sane!
Drinks - Sit Back and Relax
Coffee - Wake Up and Get Going
Sugar - Addiction
Books - Fiction and Non. Vampires and God.
Movies - Sometimes to cry. Or Laugh. Or Feel Like a Superhero.
TV Shows
My Sense of Humor - I Love Laughing At Myself
Not Worrying
Watching My Kids Take Risks - be Adventurous. Climb. Fall. Get back up.
Organic Food When I Can - I feel healthier. My bank account get's lighter even if I don't.
Music - LOVE how it changes my mood. Sexy. Sad. Happy. Rockin'. Mellow.
Autumn - God's Gift
Choice - We all Deserve Choices.
Freedom
Money - It Makes Me Happy to Have Some
White Christmas
Thanksgiving - so I can say thanks for all of the above!
Passion - Reasons Are XXX.
If we are the same, I love you. If we differ, I love you. Same difference - I love you.
3 comments:
I cannot argue with a single one of those! You are so right and I love you for it! Elaine
Differences are interesting in my opinion... most of the time we are interested in things that are different, but silently (and often unknowingly) judge them at the same time as often times being inferior to our own way/thoughts/actions...
It was a huge eye opener to me when I got married and moved to South America. Having grown up in Kzoo, I never gave a thought to school schedules, work weeks, postal service... I took for granted that there were zillions of cars to choose from in the car dealerships, 12 different brands of detergent and 10 deep on the shelves in the stores...
When I got to Venezuela and saw the difference in the way the people there live, I immediately disliked my new surroundings. They were different. I felt superior. I knew a better way...
It took awhile to realize that their ways of doing things weren't better or worse than mine, just different and truth be told, in general, they are a whole lot happier group of people than we Americans!
I was shocked that most weeks they have holidays, almost anything is an excuse to stay home from school or work. Anything is a cause to party and vacation. What I viewed as their 'laziness' was maybe alittle extreme, but so is 80+ hour work weeks we take on, our constant race for progress and money...
In Venezuela, there are few heart attacks. In a poll recently, Venezeuela was one of the happiest countries on Earth, despite their horrific government and poverty! Their lives may not be full of material things like ours are, but they are rich in personality and there is a real spice to live there.
I initially saw the differences between our countries as one being right and the other being wrong. I came to discover that in most every situation, there is more than one right solution. There is truly "more than one way to skin a cat", and that we can learn a lot by embracing differences instead of judging them.
I loved this post and it has stuck with me. You're a natural at this blogging stuff and hope you keep at it with as much vigor as you have started with. Your a prolific writer and funny to boot!
I like that you used the words "intriguing" when you discussed differences. I feel the same way. You'd love Banff. Just came back and saw so many people from around the world and heard so many different languages happening. (Have a neat story I'll share on my blog next.) I tried to take photos of the gorgeous ethnic people at the top of Sulfur Mountain. But I didn't want to be auspicious. One woman and her daughter were quite dark skinned, darker than mocha, I'd say, and had dark hair and beautiful blue eyes. Such a striking combo. My photos were really blurry. I wanted to ask these people about their lives... but didn't.
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