Zebra Question . . . .

I asked the zebra,

Are you black with white stripes?

Or white with black stripes?

And the zebra asked me,

Are you good with bad habits?

Or are you bad with good habits?

Are you noisy with quiet times?

Or are you quiet with noisy times?

Are you happy with some sad days?

Or are you sad with some happy days?

Are you neat with some sloppy days?

Or are you sloppy with some neat ways?

And on and on and on and on

And on and on he went.

I'll never ask a zebra

About stripes

Again.

by Shel Silverstein

Perhaps it's not such

a silly question after all!

Photo by Gerda van Schalkwyk

Celebrate your differences . . . .

I came across this sign while hiking the dune trails a few weeks ago, and I had to stop and share it with my husband. He was well ahead of me, so I had to call him back to read it. He had walked right past it! He's a very driven man, always walks with intention, so I don't believe he really thought he was missing anything. He focuses on the trail immediately ahead of him, concentrates on his "form", how he plants his feet, and he makes sure he's using his muscles in a way that when the hike is over, he can feel all the benefits of an hour well spent.  I too, like to think of it as a great workout, but for the most part, I don't really hike like that. I'm slower than he is. I notice everything, and I stop to take photographs along the way, which puts me even further behind him. There really is no "right" way to hike, is there? We were both getting the most out of WHY we were there, which was to enjoy it---and we were! In our own way! And that's my point today.  

When my husband read the sign, he smiled, and I think he felt a little guilty about not paying attention to all the beauty that was around him, but he continued on just as he had, focusing on all the physical benefits. He got exactly what he needed out of that hike. There is no "right" way! He was happy. And so was I. I too, got exactly what I wanted out of that hike---the physical benefits (at a slower pace), and the beauty.

"It's not our differences that divide us. 

It is our inability to recognize, accept, 

and celebrate those differences."

-Audre Lorde