Asians are smarter than the rest of us.
Christians hate gays & are staunch pro-lifers.
Men are bad drivers.
Women are bad drivers.
(Maybe we're all bad drivers?)
Women are emotionally fragile.
All babies are cute.
Men never ask for directions.
People with multiple tattoos are rebellious law-breakers.
Men who wear skinny jeans are gay.
Anyone who dresses in all black and wears eyeliner is a cutter.
People who homeschool their kids are weird religious nuts.
Aforementioned religious nuts are pushy and judgemental.
People who make their own laundry soap are tree-hugging environmentalist hippies.
Wrestling fans are rednecks.
New Yorkers are rude & fashionable.
Texans love country music.
People who live in California are gay-loving, tan, bikini-clad, liberal surfers.
Do I need to go on? Chances are you've heard, and maybe even believe, at least one of those statements. The truth is, however, that stereotypes are not reliable. Cory and I homeschool our kids, make our own laundry detergent, get excited about Crock-Pot recipes, and are undeniably weird Jesus freaks, and yet I have purple hair, he has earrings & tattoos, we're both pro-choice Democrats, I'm a great driver, and we both work full-time outside the home. See how many stereotypes we break? In the homeschool community, we're prey to judgment because we both have full-time jobs outside the home. In the public school community, we're the weirdos who let our kids watch TV and call it learning. In the Christian community, we support murder because we're pro-choice. As Oklahomans, we're practically outcasts for disliking country music. ;-)
In short, when you put all the pieces of our unique puzzle together, the image is not what you would expect - and I would be willing to bet yours isn't either. We are MORE than the sum of our parts. We are MORE than stereotypes, MORE than others expect us to be, immeasurably MORE than we could ever imagine becoming. We are smashing stereotypes not with hatred, or political lobbying, or rambling, angry facebook rants, but with everyday, authentic life. We strive to be true to ourselves, faithful to God, loving to others, and strong in our values. It's not the loudest or most attention-getting way to make a statement, but I'm ok with that. When my short time here on earth is over, I want people to remember that I loved deeply, lived authentically, and had an undeniable faith in God. Well, and maybe that I was a great driver....
