What I Stand For

Yesterday the blue eyed cutie and myself had ourselves a long ongoing debate. And I'm not sure it's over at this point but it's got me thinking about what I really, really stand for in life. What's important to me... what I won't budge on.

Tolerance, acceptance, understanding, and diversity. All in all, what I stand for is love.

To appreciate the whole landscape, one must appreciate each person as an individual, in my mind. For their virtues and their flaws. Sometimes the perceived flaws are so big you just can't get past it because it simply contradicts your own sense of self. In my experience, I've found that the more solid I become in my own sense of self, the less other people's points of view bothers me. I'll talk about it, I'll give my opinion but it doesn't make me want to strike out in anger or belittle them just because they're being themselves. People who mistreat other people are generally not ok with me. Some people are just assholes and some people are unkind. Some people will surprise you and others will disappoint you. I enjoy depth and I enjoy the fact that each individual is made up of a million small parts and experiences that make them who they are. Some people think deeply, some are shallow. Some people know to say thank you and some people don't know when thanks are in order. I have trouble with the rude, fake, hiding something people in the world and I definitely have a problem with people who are so intolerant of other people's individual rights to their own beliefs, values, and lifestyles. These are the people who want theirs respected but don't respect other people's. Some people don't have a personal identity through no fault of their own but rather because of conditioning. Some people don't have a personal sense of identity because they're scared to find out who they are and what they think, what they believe and who is underneath their skin. But, all of these people are deserving of respect, dignity, and love. It is very simple. It's the golden rule. Treat others as you wish to be treated. This should start a chain of love. And if it doesn't, at least I tried. I'm finding that in many ways, it's very lucrative... people like to be loved and they like to love back once the door is opened to them. They don't want to have to defend themselves all the time and they're usually very welcoming of good conversation when it's offered, once they no longer feel threatened. Being vulnerable is hard. Admitting you're wrong is not easy. Knowing that you've got a battle with people doesn't make you want to be around them, it just makes you want to go in the opposite direction.

My biggest goal in life is simple. To love. To love (not necessarily like) all the individuals who cross my path. This doesn't mean I will always bend over backwards for people and I am always prepared to defend the ones I love, the many diverse, amazing, beautiful creatures who are standing somewhere on my path. I don't agree with everything they do and I certainly don't understand it either. And some of my jokes, stated quietly amongst certain folks whom I trust, may not always be nice but I vow to keep respecting and helping those people who are presented to me. Unless, of course, I find that they're mistreating me or behaving in a way that's intolerant of my stance in life. This one, to be exact.