The Tuesday Think - All the Same

So, it's Tuesday, thinking day, once again. I'm not too sure where this one is gonna go yet - probably into rant territory, sorry - but today I thought I'd think about how we're really all the same. We may look different, but other than that, we're all pretty much identical. It's true, whether we like it or not. We're all the same.
Take celebrities, for instance. I mean, I love a good actor, musician, etc. just as much as the next person, but I'm sick of society idolising them and making them the standard, the goal, of what we're supposed to look like, act like, live like. When did being a good actor make you a good person? When did being able to sing make you better than anyone else? When did they stop being movie stars, and become gods? Why are we expected to meet Hollywood standards that are purely fantasy in real life?
And why do we only see what we want to see of people we look up to (or even look down to...) and not view reality? For example, millions of my fellow females would literally chop off their arms to meet Robert Pattinson for just a second, yet is he really the Mr. Perfect he is portrayed as? No. He smokes, gets drunk, swears - I'm totally not picking on him, he's just the first thing that came to mind - he's only human. Just a human - no different than the rest of us. A messed-up, frail, measly old human like all of our calloused, beautiful kind - from the sherpas of Tibet, to the child soldiers of Uganda, to the rich of L.A. and everything in between.
Am I starting to make sense at all? We're all exactly the same. No one is better. No one is worse. We all live. We all die. We all desire love. Security. Approval. Happiness. Hope. We're all afraid of something. We're all worried about something. We're all struggling with soemthing.
Some people have gotten pro at wearing a mask that says "I'm all good" but is anyone ever really "all good"? I don't think so. Some try so desperately to cover up their mistakes, flaws, faults - sins - whatever you want to call them. They put up happy facades of perfectness. But is anyone ever perfect? No. Is anyone ever happy all the time? No. Is anyone ever truly happy when they're trying to convince others they are? No.
Why do we all try so hard to impress each other? Who do we think we're kidding? And why do we still fall for people's lying games over and over? Why do we constanly compare ourselves to others? Why is our society so ridiculously obssessed with comparing and contrasting? Why can't we just be happy with what we've got? Why can't we accept our past failures and move along to a brighter future?
Why can't we grow up and realise that we're all the same? We're all human. We all stuff up. Over and over again. And again. We're all stupid at times. We're all suffering. Fighting. Wrestling. Battling. We all get angry. We all get embarassed. We all get depressed. We all need each other. We all need God.
When we boil down the hype and hash, we're all exactly the same. Let's accept it, and let that knowledge impact us in our dealings with others. Let's be careful, because we all have feelings and fears. Let's be loving, because we all need care and acceptance. Let's help each other, because we all have needs. Let's stop seeing what we want to, and start seeing through God's eyes, the truth. Let's stop letting the few (celebrities) set what is right for the many (the rest of us). Let's keep in mind that we. are. all. the. same.
This is getting loooong, so one last thing. I love humans. I love the fact that we're stupid. I love that we're helpless. I love that we mess up. Yeah, it sounds whack, but it's true. I love that we can't make it on our own, no matter how hard we try. I love our weaknesses. Because our every hang-up, mess-up and stitch-up screams that we need God. We cannot do it without Him. And I wouldn't have it any other way. But, I also love that although we are essentially the same, He has created us so uniquely, so differently, so specially. I love the gifts and talents He gives us. I love our sense of curiosity, wonder, discovery, creativity, responsibility, delight, humour... I love the beauty in each and every person. I love our crazy, mixed-up, gorgeous world. And God does too.
Well, good night. Happy thinking! (I always love to hear your thoughts! Feel free to follow my ranting lead...)

The Tuesday Think - Words

So, I was thinking, which is something I do occasionally - but generally only on Tuesdays, which is why I have planned a weekly post called The Tuesday Think (Triple T, if you will) - and was pensing (notice that sneaky Franglish/Engcais?) about the way we often say one thing and other people hear something totally different. I'm not talking about selective hearing (no, Mum, I never heard you ask me to clean my room 63 times!) I mean genuinely mishearing or misunderstanding what people say.
For example, someone was telling me a story today about a "mare" (female horse), but I heard "mayor"! I didn't particularly realise my mishearing at first as I heard about the "mayor" getting her hair braided, but as the story progressed I grew confused beyond comprehension - especially when it came to the "mayor" being ridden in a show! Let's not even go there... *shudder*
But you catch my drift, right? We often hear things totally wrong (wrong on more than one level sometimes, too...) and maybe we don't even necessarily realise our mistake at the time. I know the storyteller never intended me to think the mane character (pardon the pun) was a human instead of a horse, but I did...
Likewise, we sometimes say things and don't realise what other people hear, or think. And sometimes it's not even about hearing a particular word or phrase incorrectly, it's way more. We often misinterpret the meaning of what someone is saying, or take offense at something that was supposed to be harmless. This deeper side of the 'what-I-say vs. what-you-hear' issue I'm trying to touch on is one that has megaly been hitting me lately.
I often joke around with my mates, calling them "idiot", yelling "I hate you" when they beat me at cards, etc., greeting them with a hearty "hey ugly" and such. Of course, I absolutely do NOT mean any of it - I love my friends crazy heaps! - and I know they know I don't mean it, but I've realised this kind of thing can still be dangerous. People I know less may think I was serious if I said they were crazy, in my deadpan tone.
Still perpetually puzzled?
I guess I'm just trying to get across the fact that words have power. Massive, hugemongoose, supernova power. The Bible says they have the power of life and death, in fact. (As Murray Hewitt once said, "You could die. Or even just be ridiculed.") They're serious, mate, serious. We so often reduce words to mere playthings, but they're weapons. Just like we've got to handle swords with care, we have to use words properly. (Ha, just noticed 'swords' is 'words' with an 's' in front! I don't think that's coincidence.) Remember, I'm totally not saying don't joke around and have fun - please don't get me wrong, I love humour and sarcasm with a passion - but I am gently warning you to watch what you say. You never know who might overhear you, or what someone might think of a comment made in haste, so just try to ensure that you'll never have to apologise to anyone for a misunderstanding - or even for something intentional. Deliberately saying something cruel or in bad taste to someone else is a whole 'nother can-a-worms, but you get the jist. Try to speak as if Jesus could hear eveything you say - 'cause He can, of course.
Yeah, this is definitely more of a lesson for outspoken, reckless me than any of you who may or not read this blog, but I felt like I should share it, so I did.
Thanks (and sorry for going all serious/preacher on ya there...)