I watched the Grammy Awards show and the thing I loved most about it was what LL Cool J said about all of the musical artists coming together as a family. They are all from different backgrounds, countries, and music genres but they all are able to come together and recognize each other’s talents and successes and celebrate together.
Then on my drive to work the next morning I heard a person on a country music station make a comment about what a “freakshow” Taylor Swift’s opening act was and how “she has to do something like that to fit in with the other freaks in a show like that”. Really?!? So let me get this straight…because the Grammy Awards celebrates all genres of music (including a new Urban music category) and not just country, that makes the other artists freaks? Let me just say that I am a huge country music fan, but I enjoy listening to a wide variety of music across all genres. I found offense in the statements I heard from that person on the radio.
So that brings me to the point of my blog…Can’t we all just get along?!
Seriously, when did we develop the mind set of “mine is better than yours”? Why does it have to be that way? And this is true in so many aspects of life. I see it in music, religion, schools, businesses, cities, states, countries, parenting, oh heck…everything!
Let me just put it out there…nobody is better than anybody else!! We are all unique and that makes us all special. If we would all just allow ourselves to be more open-minded and accepting of others, this world would be a much nicer place. Yes we may have different opinions and yes we have different ways of doing things, but that doesn’t make them wrong. (Ok…disclaimer…it is wrong if your “way of doing things” causes yourself or others harm so keep that in mind!).
I am not asking you to agree with everything, just acknowledge that something is not wrong because it is different. The world would be a very boring place if everybody was exactly the same. You know the old saying “Opposites attract”? There is great truth to that saying!
So open your minds and look at the world a different way.
It is OK to be (and I am not leaving anything out on purpose, I just can’t type everything out…giving examples so you get the idea!):
White, Black, Asian, Latino/Latina, Gay, Straight, Christian, Catholic, Buddhist, Atheist, American, African, Australian, Puerto Rican, Construction Worker, Manager, Nurse, Doctor, Right-Wing, Left-Wing, Democratic, Republican, Non-Partisan, Single-Parent, Mixed Family, Traditional, Creative, Country, Pop, Urban, East Coast, West Coast, Midwest, etc.
Can we all set a goal to try to be more open and accepting of others and our differences?
In the words of my friend Ellen Degeneres (ok she is not really my friend…she doesn’t know who I am at all actually…but a girl can dream can’t she?!)
“Be kind to one another.”
Compassion Bulldog 