Monday, January 21, 2013

Too Open-Minded to be a Purist about Anything

I kind of hate this about myself, but only kind of.

The thing is, I see beauty and pleasing things in everything. For example, I’m not one of these people who only listens to alternative music and thinks that all other types of music (i.e. country music) is garbage. There is music that is good, and there is music that is crap - in every genre; same with art, same with Fashion. Not everything Ralph Lauren puts out is perfectly beautiful, just most of it. Sometimes Duran Duran puts out a dud song. Sometimes Picasso paints something beautiful.

I’m just not about absolutes or gross generalizations. Most things are subject to opinion or taste. I hate onions, except for onion rings. I always order a Crown burger with no onions and a side of onion rings. Sometimes the person taking my order catches on and questions my order, are you sure you want onion rings but no onions on your burger? Why would someone who obviously doesn't like onions because they ordered their burger without onions order onion rings? I know, weird, but onions are gross unless they’re battered, deep fried and dipped in fry sauce. (What’s fry sauce you ask? Ahhh, that’s for Utah to know and you to find out, and sad for you if you don’t know what it is)

I used to think that I was wishy-washy or not passionate about anything and this made me feel bad. Like I'm easily swayed and not firm and steadfast or strong willed. Let me tell you. I am NOT wishy-washy nor dispassionate. Quite the opposite: I am flexible and open-minded. This makes me free to get over myself and not see things as either-or, black and white or wrong and right. It used to be a cool way to define oneself; alternative is cool, everything other than is not cool. I think that being able to think for yourself and liking things because you think that they're cool because they are and not just because they are a part of a specific genre is cool.

I’ll tell you what I’m not – I’m not myopic. I’m not so focused on the genius or beauty or rightness of one thing as to blind me to the genius or beauty or rightness of something else. Most times when I’ve tried to be absolute about something I’ve learned more about it and it’s become one of my great loves. See Duran Duran. Never say never.

A long time ago, I heard that breast feeding made your boobs flat. Being flat enough as it was, I decided then and there that I would not breastfeed ever, breastfeeding was sick and wrong, and it should not be done. Then I became a mother and did some reading and realized the benefits far outweighed the chance of flat boobs and my opinion of breastfeeding became quite the opposite. Just ask Mrs. Bowie who named me the “Nursing Nazi”. I breastfed Huey for 15 months and I would have gone longer, but he weaned himself. I breastfed Dewey for 19, and my boobs never went back to normal. They stayed D-cups. Good thing I didn’t go with my original view, eh? (I was a B cup before I had kids and nursed them)
 
It’s nice that we can grow and learn and there’s always something that we can grow and learn about. I think that sometimes we can get set in our ways, especially when we’re older and we know what we like. I’m always open to seeing the other side.

Except when I’m right and I know what I like and I’ve seen the other side and my way is best.

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