Judgment Day

Being a "Millennial" is by far one of the most fascinating plights of my life. As if navigating through the real world at 23 isn't difficult enough, the ideology of Millennials has erased centuries of precedents. Anything goes. What was once deemed "taboo" is now basic. What was once deemed "right" is no longer the standard. It is a different world the one we live in and I couldn't be more grateful.

@betches instagrammed this today:

The caption read: "This is the most millennial headline ever" and IT IS SO TRUE. I am "liberal" when it comes to social issues and unconditionally accepting of however anyone chooses to live their life, but I didn't even know "sexually fluid" was a thing. Now I know and all I gotta say is "you go girl".

You see-- this is our world. There aren't rules of society to abide by. Stereotypes are for the weak and ignorant. This world, our world, driven by Millennials, is about breaking barriers and not just accepting, but praising the differences in each of our lives. We get to make the rules and our number one rule is the oldest adage there is- do not judge a book by its cover. I would think that would be hard to argue against, but I am disappointed to report that so many have not seen the light of acceptance and respect.

Despite this world we live in being rich with change, not everyone has jumped aboard. People suck. People are mean. And the most frightening and heart-wrenching is that people actively CHOOSE to hurt others. Luta said " You can be as "traditional" as they get. Know the stories, sing the songs, and suffer for the people; but if you can't stop gossiping, bringing people down and treating people like they are below you- our traditions mean nothing."

I have three tattoos. I like a stiff drink on an occasional week night. I curse more than I should and some days, I don't wash my hair. But I never show up to a dinner party empty-handed. I still send proper thank you notes in the mail. I strive to always be respectful and gracious. And my heart is as big as the ocean is deep. So which of those matter more than the others? I think they all matter. I think every facet of every human matters. Just because the cover is untraditional does not mean the content is unworthy. There comes a point in every human's life where they have to realize that they will never be 'good enough' for some people. The question that I beg you to ask yourself is this: Is not being 'good enough' your problem or theirs?

Please don't be fooled by the soapbox I am standing on today- I am not perfect. I am all kinds of judgey on a good day and it's not something I am proud of. But I am human. However, I would like to believe that I truly do not disregard another person's worth because of their "cover".

SCOTUS said this on marriage rights: "No union is more profound than marriage, for it embodies the highest ideals of love, fidelity, devotion, sacrifice and family. In forming a marital union, two people become something greater than once they were. As some of the petitioners in these cases demonstrate, marriage embodies a love that may endure even past death. It would misunderstand these men and women to say they disrespect the idea of marriage. Their plea is that they do respect it, respect it so deeply that they seek to find its fulfillment for themselves. Their hope is not to be condemned to live in loneliness, excluded from one of civilization's oldest institutions. They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right."

Whether we are discussing marriage, friendship, or general humanity, the reality of the world we live in and should so desperately cling to is that EVERYONE deserves equal dignity. What Millennials, myself included, are fighting for in this world is not instant gratification and the abolishment of authority. We just want the people around us and generations before us to give us a chance to prove our worth despite our covers not fitting an outdated standard.

The reason people say that you find love when you least expect it is not to give false hope to singles swiping on Tinder. It is the clichéd truth-- you find love, friendship, success and fulfillment when you stop looking because then and only then have you let your guard down, become vulnerable and open to any possibility. We should not judge a person whose burdens we have not carried, whose challenges we have not faced, whose battles we have not fought, whose path we have not walked. We should only love and pray for them. We only know what life is like in the shoes on our own feet. Even Jesus knew that.

There are only two remedies I have found for battling the wrath of judgment:
            1. Surround yourself with good, kind-hearted people who respect you and the path you walk
            2. Know your own worth

If you keep the good hearts around and truly believe that all you are is worthy of love and respect, you will come to realize that those who don't see your worth are the ones missing out.