Theme: Doing the Right Thing
"It is in our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities." - Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
"To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." - Ralph Waldo Emerson, Unitarian minister and Transcendentalist writer/lecturer
A Story From Rev. Craig...
Everyone likes to be liked but when I was in elementary school I wanted to be popular too. The problem was I had this friend. His name was Joe. He was my best friend. Joe was not popular at all. In fact, he was really unpopular. Most of the kids in my grade didn't like Joe and they made fun of him a lot. Because I was Joe's friend, the popular kids wouldn't be friends with me. One day a group of the popular kids came to me and said, "Hey, if you stop being friends with Joe, you can be our friend." I always wanted to be one of the popular kids and now I had my chance. But what about Joe? I thought about what to do and then did what I think was the right thing.
What do you think I did?
What would you do? Why?
How does Unitarian Universalism influence the choices you make?
You're invited to post your responses below.
I think about the first and second principle. Every person is important and all people should be treated kindly. I wish I were always following that in my childhood. I can proudly remember times when I was strong and stood up for a dude being bullied. He resented my interference, but we became friends for life. I can remember a different time I stood by and watched for fear I would be messed with. As an adult, the two experiences have made me want to be UU because I want to be strong like my first example.
ReplyDeleteKnowing you Craig, I think you did the right thing by continuing to support Joe. Besides, you said you did what you thought was the right thing. I hope I would have supported Joe. I did not belong to the popular school group either but certainly wished to. A girl I didn't particularly like was crying because her father was hospitalized. As I comforted her, I realized that we all have sadness so it didn't matter if I liked her or not. Being an adult UU, I am glad I had some of our values as a teenager. Now UU has strengthened my moral compass by caring for the planet, all sentient beings, my political choices, what I eat, support for human rights including religious freedom, and more.
ReplyDeleteI think you remained friends with Joe. Maybe you tried to influence the group toward being more open-minded. I'm glad for our UU Principles and I think that they seem pretty simple to live by. But in practice, in real life, the best we can do is learn the principles, really know them and strive toward living our best lives through them, remembering acceptance and tolerance for everyone, even ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI did remain friends with Joe. Popularity, like so much of what we grasp for, is often fleeting. I just couldn't turn my back on Joe. It didn't seem right...it didn't seem like me. In this case doing the right thing meant being true to myself and my values.
ReplyDelete