Snowflakes

I hear a lot about the Millenial generation and they are usually this way and that way. I hear quite a bit about Generation X and how they are the other way and do this thing normally. Then there are those who don’t fit into either category and they are this hybrid generation called Millenial Xer’s. And then I hear about the Baby Boomers and what it means for them to fade from majority to minority. Then everyone has an opinion on the statistics and history of the Silent Generation and how they did this right or that wrong and how it has left us all better or worse off than before.

The more we talk about it, the more we measure it, the more we press into classifying the generations, the more different we all seem.

When I talk to anyone identifying with any of these generations, they don’t carry enough of the identifiers for me to classify them. They might be born in 1991 but carry the opinions and ideas of someone born in 1967. The more I get to know people who fall into all these labels, the more I see people.

Sure these people use a smartphone more and those people do not use a smartphone very much. But they are still people. They breath air, eat food, and sleep, just like I do. The more of them I treat them like people. The fewer differences I have with them.

The less I focus on our supposed differences and classifications, the better I feel and the more friends I make.

Who are you classifying before you get to know them? Where are you making assumptions about people you do not know? Where are you meeting a stereotype, not meeting a person? Where else are you classifying and measuring the differences of people before you meet the people?

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Being Baby Bear

Growing up I heard the story of Little Red Riding Hood. The story, as I remember it, is about this girl who stumbled upon a bear’s den, sampled their porridge, ate her favorite, and fell asleep in the most comfortable bed. The bears came home and were displeased with the eaten porridge and then punished the girl.

Obviously, the mom and dad bears were the judge, jury, and executors concerning her punishment. And Baby Bear was the innocent bystander watching the goings on.

Baby Bear did not have a say in the situation. As a matter of fact, he probably went to his Baby Bear bedroom, played with his bear legos, read a bear book, and maybe daydreamed about living in a bear’s galaxy far far away.

Baby Bear, had nothing to do with the situation besides having potentially shared some of his cold porridge with his mom who was woefully without porridge due to Red Riding Hood’s selfish porridge eating ways.

I realized I identify with Baby Bear. You might say he has been my spirit animal. However, the issue with being Baby Bear is that he has no active part, takes no active part, and does not participate in the story. It is time for me to take part, participate, and engage the story.

What is your role in the story? Which character do you identify with? What are the pros and cons of that character? What can you do to better engage your story?

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Ballot Identity

Who are you voting for?

Again I say, who are they?

Today more than ever we get to see the full, raw, unedited versions of our city, county, state, and nation’s leaders. And more than ever knowing who you are voting for is more important than whether they are in this party or that party. Whether they have an (I) or (R) or (D) seems to have less weight now than when we elected Reagan, Bush, Clinton, G.W., or Obama.

Today, knowing who you are voting for outweighs everything else. I have not heard much about the president lately. But I sure do hear quite a bit about the man named Donald John Trump.

So before you check the box with the (I) at the end of his name. Punch the chad with the (D) at the end of the name. Or ignore the woman with the (R) at the end of her name.

Look them up on Facebook.

Find them on twitter.

Check out their instagram. (And their children’s instagram.)

What is it full of?

What is on page 3 or 4 after you Google them?

What do you think about this person? Is this who you want to be your city council member? Is that what your Mayor looks like?

P. S. Are you voting for your candidate out of fear? Do you want other people voting out of fear? Do you want this nation to be in fear of you?

The people on the other side of the aisle have a pulse, thoughts and feelings just like you. Please get to know them before you fear them. You will be surprised by how many things you have in common.

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Being Me

“Everything in moderation, even moderation” –Oscar Wilde

Good quote. It is especially weighty when put into the context of team and identity. The greater good of the team, community, group, or collective is always superior to the need of the one. This truth must be taken in moderation. This truth is empirical so long as I don’t completely sacrifice myself to ‘better’ the team. the best analogy I can come up with is snow. 

Snow is made up of trillions upon trillions of tiny snowflakes. These flakes all work together to become a beautiful, serene, blanket of white fluffy powder. I especially like snow when it is in the mountains and not on the roads. All of these flakes work together to not be individual snowflakes, but instead a mound of snow to ski on, snowboard, sled, snowmen, snowballs, and car accidents. It is the collective power of snowflakes working together to become this powerful snow that can take lives or insulate the winter wheat. Snowflakes must work together. However, never does one snowflake have to give up the beautiful ornate design it has to be a part of the collective. The design of this flake is never placed at a higher importance than the group, however, it is still existent from the moment it forms as a frosty snowflake to the moment it melts into a puddle. The flake has a purpose and identity that is necessary for the collective’s success. 

I have a purpose and an identity that is necessary for my team’s success. I had given up my identity, buried it in a bucket somewhere, shoved it in a closet, and ignored it. However, it was waiting for me. 

I’ve been cleaning out my closets. Emptying my buckets. Now I am who I am and I am going to be me, unapologetically. 

For the sake of the team, 

My friends, 

My family,

And everyone I get to be with.

How much of your identity have you given up for those you love? Have you given up too much or too little?

Being me,

–JT