I'm working on accepting it.

We say we are accepting; that we want people to follow their hearts.  That we want to support our community and have it thrive with variety.  We want to have it be open to all sorts of ways of thinking and doing things.  We all say that we want the variety.  That we welcome the variance; until that variance impacts us.  Until we sit there looking at something different from our norm...and we judge.

Hateful, spiteful words replace acceptance.  

I'm not on a soap box for this one.  I'm telling you I am just as guilty as the next person.  I say I have an open heart.  That I want to be accepting of new ideas and new people in my life.  But do I really?  It's hard work to learn about something new.  My time is valuable (isn't everyones); it takes precious resource to hear someone else's perspective or heaven forbid change my routine.  I try not to lull myself into thinking that my way is the best way.  But who am I kidding, I like to be right! I'm a Type A personality through and through.  I like the right answer, at the right place and the right time.  I like, no I WANT things to be correct and if they aren't I want to fix them.  My prayers are filled with thoughts to God, to help me be patient and understanding.  I'm not kidding when I tell you, I certainly know what this acceptance thing (or lack there of) feels like.  When others offer up a different way, it can be a hard pill to swallow.  

It's not a hard pill for you to swallow?  

It's no secret I grew up in a small town and I live in an even smaller one now.  Both places are full of the wonderful things that small towns provide.  A strong sense of community and safety.  A place where your kids can grow up and learn about life (the good and the bad), where your parents generally know what you were up to before you come rolling down the gravel drive.  Those small towns are full of hard working, caring, respectful, loving neighbors, family and friends.  And acceptance, well it's something we struggle with, and likely someone from either of these two places will read this and sit here fuming that I would say this out loud.  But it's true. We like to say things like "That will never happen here"  or "That's the way we've done it for 20 years."  The trouble with acceptance is it's hard to want to embrace the change.  But the world we live in, the one that is vast and global with it's interactions, that world is changing so fast.  And we can sit here and argue all day about whether those changes are good or bad. We can slice and dice change, all the while I assure you the world does not care.  It moves on, while we struggle to accept new faces, new opportunities or new ways of looking at things.  I might add, this is not propaganda or an attempt to say we should accept everything.  After all, the saying goes "You've got to stand for something, or you'll fall for anything."   It's tough to keep an open mind, yet guard against those that would wish you ill will.  It's hard to accept change and do it with a willing heart. I don't like it either; but I hope that I never pass by accepting something new in exchange for the greater well being of my family and friends and neighbors.  And I hope that all those around me would join in doing the same.