February 11, 2015
(This is part of a 365 project during my 70th year where I write and
illustrate a blog on each day's gift.)
Life is
multifaceted. As a child in the 50’s, the days of Ozzie and Harriet, I did not
understand this. If I saw a tattooed person, I made assumptions about that
person’s educational background and outlook. If I saw a child with pierced
ears, I assumed that child was a gypsy. If someone had a southern accent, I
assumed that person was a hillbilly. These things were taught to me both in
outright ways and subtle ways. And those labels were undesirable.
It might
seem strange to young people today that someone would make these assumptions. I
come from a time in history when things were black and white (including the TV),
when everything was delineated. I think today’s youth are a lot more accepting
than youth 60 years ago. In my childhood neighborhood, there was a little boy
who liked to play with dolls and he pushed them around in a doll carriage. My
mother did not want me to play with him. He was different from other boys and was
called a “sissy.” A little girl in my second grade class had pierced ears,
uncommon in those days, and my mother did not want me to associate with the “gypsy”
girl. In fifth grade, a boy sang songs to me with a southern twang as he played a guitar. I learned
he was not good enough for me because he was a “hillbilly.” They were considered to be unsuitable playmates for me.
People
who yearn for the “good old days” and who say that today’s youth have “gone to
the dogs” have forgotten about the narrow views that most people held years
ago. Youth today are much more accepting of people for who they are. They do
not prejudge someone who is covered in tattoos. They do not make the
assumptions that I grew up with. They do not look at the outside alone but they
assume there is a multifaceted person inside. They are less likely to apply
labels than their grandparents.
We
seniors have a lot to learn from young people today who accept that life is
multifaceted. Sexual identity and orientation are not binary but a continuum. I
have no desire to “escape” to Florida with some of my peers and live a
sedentary life. I relish diversity, life’s layers, and all the rainbow facets
that life has to offer. This is what makes life so vibrant. I am glad that I am
not stuck in my past and that I seek to connect with those who are not like me.
They enrich my life.
Today’s gift is life’s
many facets.
You can read my other posts on this project here:
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