The Price of Being Different

 I have never felt like I quite fit in anywhere or any time in my life. I was always, it seemed, the outsider looking in, longing to be in there, and never quite knowing how to be.

I also discovered, at a very young age, that I look at things differently than the rest of the human race. Not better. Not worse. Just differently.

So here I am, having no real connection to te rest of the human race, deeply wishing for one, having no idea how to accomplish this thing, and twisting myself up in so many different ways trying to BE someone else. And that someone else would change from one moment to the next depending on who I was hanging around with at the time.

I became a total chamelion just trying to fit in with no idea of who I am. No connection to the SELF that is me.

And my "life" went on. I continued trying to be human and failing. Continued trying to be connected to others and failing. Continued trying to be a part of and continued being apart from.

Not a good way to experience life.

And during all of this I am still going thru life looking at things much differently than the rest of you. Again, not better or worse, just differently.

And this is in two ways. 1) I can see sides of things that most others cannot. And it usually seems so clear to me and yet it is so invisible to others. 2) I can see other sides as well. I am not locked in on my vision only. I can see yours and others as well. May or may not see the validity of it, and can still distinguish it.

And let me tell you kinfolk, in this society we live in that demands conformity on so many levels, one pays a steep price for being different. For being empathic. For being able to see what others cannot. There is a price.

Throughout history our most creative people, and I am not claiming to be one, have been different. The "Tortured Artist" trope is in existence for a reason.

And I also wonder how many truly creative people were, people who saw things differently and/or had the empathy to be able to see more that one side to anything, were crushed by their societies to conform to what was considered "Normal". How many truly wonderful inventions, great works of art, ways of being that worked better for everyone, did we lose because we, as people, always punish those who dare to be different.

Being different is not a choice. We are born the way that we are. If you are a believer, I am not, then we are born in the likeness and image of God and exactly the way God intended us to be. If you have other beliefs then we are born exactly as we should be and in the way that nature is and is not.

And we are ALL of us Different. We are all strangers to each other.

And we have created a society that demands conformity and allows difference only within very narrowly defined parameters. You can be different all you want, within our allowed space.

As long as you do not make anyone uncomfortable.

So what can we do? We can start embracing difference, celebraring difference, Being Delighted in each others Difference.

And in order to do that we have to do something else. We have to be Comfortable Being Uncomfortable. We have to be able to see more than One Way of Being. We need to Accept the Other exactly as they are and are not. We have to let go of our Fear of the Other, the one who is Different.

We Have to be Bigger People than we are in this moment.

We must Love without Reservation the other that we do not understand.

We must Love each other. It is the only Rational act.