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We live in a
world where so many people strive to "fit in" or to "be like"
someone they fantasize has a perfect or at least better life
than they do.
In my younger years, I often
heard the expression of people wanting to "keep up with the
Jones'" most often meaning they were attempting to live beyond
their means to have what their neighbors possessed whether it
was a newer, more expensive car, or even perhaps a swimming
pool. Then came the era when everyone, it seemed, wanted to copy
someone else; i.e. women copied Jackie Kennedy's hairstyle. Then
along came more attention to television ads. One in particular
stands out in manipulating the masses, "if I only have one life
to live, I want to live it as a blonde." The owners of "Lady
Clairol" made a fortune from this as there were blondes
everywhere the eye could see in some parts of the world. In the
1960s in America we had the "Hippie" movement. It was all about
"being free to express yourself" but mostly everyone looked very
similar with their long hair and ratty clothes.
To "be yourself" would be
simple if it only meant that we could change our hairstyle or
color, or the styles of clothes we choose to wear. But it is
much more than that. In his Essay "Self-Reliance," Emerson says
all people eventually learn four basic truths: envy is
ignorance, imitation is suicide, all must take themselves for
who they are, and though the universe is filled with good
things, people must work hard to cultivate these good things
instead of expecting everything to work of its own accord.
What is this hard
work that Emerson says we must do in order to cultivate these
good things? It is the work of guarding our consciousness to
register as truth only those things that are true to us. Not
true for our neighbor or the product advertisers, or anyone else
for that matter. This "self" of you may choose to color your
hair blonde, or to wear tie-dyed clothing, or to style your hair
according to the current popular trends, but that you that is
"within you" must be yourself. That unique, individualized life
that only you were gifted with.
Keep the Faith!
Rev-Bates
(Reverend Dr. Henry Lee Bates)
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