So I pretty much think I have seen and heard most of the simply outrageous things in my life but today I was smacked in the face with something I just needed to share.

A high school friend was telling a story of her son and a friend sitting in a courtyard before school meditating to try to prepare their minds for school. For most of us this sounds like something we all should have done rather than large amounts of not preparing that me and my friends all worked hard at doing. Anyway, another kid saw them and turned them into the school administration as worshiping the Devil! First off wtf and second and thirdly WTF!! They get scolded by some uninvolved administrator and went about their day but before her story was over, she rather nonchalantly, as if common place even, mentioned that not long ago someone judged her yoga practice because yoga is….. wait for it….. “of the Devil!” Seriously?!?! I realized right then that in no way can I let that go so here we are.

I have wondered today what makes people lash out and be so quick to judge especially in the name of christianity where everyone is taught that only God can judge. This sort of thing is not new and I get that, nor is it exclusively a Southern thing btw, but I feel as if some just need a reason to judge others so they can feel better about themselves. Why must so many try to remain so small? The world is a big place and much much older than any of our families. Why is it that education or expansion of the mind is viewed as bad at some point? I mean by that logic, no one would have followed Jesus cause he was saying some new shit for his time(there are many holes in that statement but for the sake of this argument let’s let my timeline and actions just be as to not derail my point). When I was a kid I remember the stories of bands and devil worship. KISS meant Knights In Satan’s Service and AC/DC meant Anti Christ Devils Children. I think someone even came up with one for Van Halen but I think it was too many words for even haters to remember. And besides everyone loved Diamond Dave and EVH. Anyway, who took the time to come up with this and work so hard pre-internet to get the word out. The world takes all kinds and fear should not be our factor to judge anything. This fear is there to push us out of our safety zone to grow as a person and as a people. I’d like to think we all have the capacity to grow and move away from hard lines in some of our positions. As my mom would say, “How boring would this world be if everyone always agreed and thought the same?” It’s as true now as it was then. I’d like to challenge all of us to find something we feel strongly on and find someone with a different point of view and at least entertain it if for nothing else to just know that there are some out there that are not on your wavelength. These people probably have an impact on your life by either buying a product you make or sell or frequent an establishment you are a part of. Don’t we owe it to our kids and our planet to at least try to get to know our neighbor?