My mom shared a post with me on facebook this week talking about how high school can be harder in Utah for people who aren't members of the LDS church. Check it out here!
The post addresses a lot of issues that, growing up, were quite hard for me to fully understand. Truth is, high school was the EASIEST time for me to be Non-LDS. I moved from Southern California in the middle of 6th grade. Needless to say, it was tough for me to adapt not only to the COLD that Utah has to offer, but also the ONE question that everyone seemed to ask when I got here... "Oh are you Mormon?" Honestly as a 10 year old I didn't really know a lot about religion, I was not raised with a religious background in any way. When I would answer "No" I would get a mix of responses but the one response I got most often, also hurt the most. "You know that if you get baptized you'll be able to go to Heaven." WHAT?! This came from other children, my own age. Needless to say, I came home from school that day in tears asking my mom what they meant.
Now in no way am I saying that these kids or the LDS community are not good people, they simply were relaying what they were taught and honestly thought they were helping me.
My mom sat down and explained everything to me that night, how other religions work and a small summary of what they each believe in. The hardest part of growing up in Utah was the fact that some of my friends weren't allowed to come to my house. My father smoked and they used that as a reason, but deep down I think I knew, even at a young age, that these friends parents did not want them going to someones house who was not apart of their religion.
Slowly, I got over the comments and learned to ignore them. As I have gotten older, the comments have slowed down. I still get asked "Well you live in Utah, so you must be Mormon." When I reply that I am not, people seem almost stunned.
Through middle school and into high school I was lucky enough to find a group of friends who were accepting of me. Some were Mormon and went to church on Sundays, some did not. We all loved each other regardless of what we believed in, we actually hardly talked about religion. Because honestly, talking about boys was more fun than talking about what was going on at Young Women's or church that week. I did try out the LDS church, I went to Young Women's with friends and I even went to church a couple times on Sunday. That was because it was MY choice, I wanted to see how it was and what went on during those times, never once did my friends make me feel like I HAD to go or that our friendship was at risk because of it.
I am so incredibly thankful for the group of girls I surrounded myself with through those pivotal years in my life. Without them I honestly would have had a much harder time growing up in Utah. I realize that some people never get that group, some people never quite fit in with the social "norm" and for them I truly hope that they understand there is NOTHING wrong with them.
Just because you don't fit society's mold of what your beliefs and your life should be like, doesn't mean that you are living incorrectly.
The great thing about living in America is that we are diverse. We are not forced to believe something just because one person says it's true. We have to opportunity to choose for ourselves what we want out of this life without a predestination set for us on how we should think or how we should act.
So I guess my final thought for this post is to be who you are, don't try to change to fit in or be accepted. Because, as I have grown into adulthood I have learned that it honestly doesn't matter. People aren't always going to like you, and that is OKAY! Just be the best version of yourself you can be and brush the negative people to the side.
I'll leave ya'll with this great picture that I found by looking for images on diversity. I saw all the normal pictures with the world, and people holding hands around it... but following suit of this post I am posting a picture that is NOT a normal diversity picture, but works just as well, if not better!
Until next time,
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