Not So Peculiar

I don't know why, but I honestly grew up thinking I was the only fish in the sea.  Or rather, a member of a group of fish that were the only fishes like that in the sea.  And everyone knows the saying goes, "birds of a feather need to flock together!"

Wait a second, I thought I was talking about fish.

Anyways, what I'm getting at is that I grew up thinking that because I was Mormon I didn't have anything in common with people who were not.  Because I was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, it meant I was absolutely different from everyone else out there.  I was fundamentally "peculiar and proud" and there was no need to go about associating with those Non-Mormons who obviously all drank alcohol, did drugs, and believed in divorce and destroying families.  

And so I kept to myself.  But it was kind of hard and confusing.  Because at the same time as being told to keep myself "unspotted from the world", I was urged to share the gospel and introduce people to The Book of Mormon.  What the heck?!  

So I did my best, cautiously and carefully trying to share my religion with those Non-Mormons I was so very, very different from.

Then something happened.

I got a job waitressing in Waterton last summer.

And I was suddenly surrounded by people I had so much in common with.  

And they weren't even Mormon.

My boss Laura was phenomenal.  She is even more passionate about running than I am.  The self-discipline she exercises on a daily basis towards her physical fitness is simply outstanding and I hope to someday be a fraction as dedicated as she is.  Not only did we having training and triathlons in common, Laura and her husband Rod had travelled to South America on several occasions and were even more passionately in love with the Peruvian culture than myself.  

I'm not the only person in the world who loves to train and compete and travel to South America.

My co-worker Mike was simply intriguing.  I figured I was a deep thinker after reading "Atlas Shrugged" and oftentimes felt strapped to find someone interested in talking about philosophy.  Mike's intellect astounded me and I found myself always trying to start some kind of debate or discussion with him.

I'm not the only person in the world who basks in intelligent conversation and deep thinking.

My co-workers Kate and Hailey were absolutely angelic.  I'll always remember the conversations we shared where they opened up about their values and standards.  It was so surprising and then absolutely fantastic to come to the realization that other religions and faiths value the exact same things I do.  Their perspective and example of dedication to their own faith left me feeling like I needed to improve.  I cherish the things they taught me, both through their words and example.

I'm not the only person in the world to follows a religion that teaches me to be kind and Christlike.

Just because you belong to a certain faith or are the only person for miles around that enjoys talking about Objectivism doesn't mean that you are absolutely different from everyone else on the face of the planet.

Ultimately, we're all just people trying to live our lives.  We're all just trying to be happy.  We all try to do our best.  We all have people who love us and we all have people we love too.  We're all learning something new each day.  We're all here just trying to live our lives.  And the moment you come to realize this, that's the moment you realize the world is full of people you have something in common with, despite all of our differences.