These days, we are bombarded by the idea that being different is laudable. We see it in every freaking Pixar film, just about every Hollywood movie, television, and religion (being set apart from the world), among other avenues.
But some people just want to be like everyone else. And that's okay. I did. I desperately wanted to be. But I couldn't. I can't. It's simply not who I am. But that doesn't mean I'm any better than those whose desires are to conform.
Conforming can be just as beautiful as being different. Community is comfortable and relaxing.
Now, The Little Red Pea...
But some people just want to be like everyone else. And that's okay. I did. I desperately wanted to be. But I couldn't. I can't. It's simply not who I am. But that doesn't mean I'm any better than those whose desires are to conform.
Conforming can be just as beautiful as being different. Community is comfortable and relaxing.
Now, The Little Red Pea...
********
There once was a red pea. He was bright red with wrinkly sides. But everyone else was green. Beautiful green. The sun would shine down upon them and they would glow. The red pea stuck out like a sore thumb.
One day, the red pea went to his mother and began to cry.
“Mother…”
“Yes dear?”
“I’m red and wrinkly and everyone else is green and soft and shine in the sun.”
His green mother looked at him and her face softened. She scooted over to him and pressed herself against the little red pea with a warm pea embrace.
“Now now, dear. Don’t you worry. I love you whatever color you happen to be. But, my son, should you want to be a green pea like the rest of us, let me help you with that. No need to cry at all.”
The red pea looked up at his beautiful green mother, sniffled a little, and let out a soft yelp with a big smile.
“How!!?”
“Well, son, start drinking water. A LOT of water. Don’t stop. Keep drinking it. Then sit out in the son as much as you can. Don’t hang out by the ground too much. Climb up to the top of the world, wherever you can find a perch. Once there, open your eyes and see the beauty of the world. Before long, you’ll have what you want. You’ll be like everyone else.”
So the little red pea did as he was told. He began to drink water. He drank and he drank and he drank. Then he climbed up on top of the tallest plant he could find and looked up into the big blue sky. Rolling onto his back, he closed his eyes and began to enjoy the sound of all the animals, the wind, the rain as it came and went, and especially the singing of the other beautiful green peas. He drank more water.
As he sat there, the red pea became quite sleepy. He tried to keep his eyes open but couldn’t. Soon, he drifted off and began to dream.
He dreamed that he was walking down a path in the dark woods. He was crying. Crying over his redness. It was all he could think about. How ugly his redness was, how everyone else was green, and how they all seemed to not even realize how beautiful they were – they just were beautiful and green.
Then, he woke up.
Stretching his soft green sides, he yawned a big yawn. Then he rolled his green body off of the leaf he was on, forgetting that he was sad and ambled up to a group of his friends. They took one look at him and began to jump up and down, cheering loudly, all talking at once. He couldn’t understand a word they said, they were so excited, so he swiveled his green self around and…
“I’M GREEN!!!! I’M GREEN!!!!, “ he yelled!
“I’m green, I’m green, I’m green! I’m so greeeeeeeeeen!!!!”
The little green pea ran up to his mother, and buried his face into her soft belly and wept. Then he looked up at her, tears streaming down his face, and giggled.
“Thank you, mommy. I’m so happy.”
THE END
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One day, the red pea went to his mother and began to cry.
“Mother…”
“Yes dear?”
“I’m red and wrinkly and everyone else is green and soft and shine in the sun.”
His green mother looked at him and her face softened. She scooted over to him and pressed herself against the little red pea with a warm pea embrace.
“Now now, dear. Don’t you worry. I love you whatever color you happen to be. But, my son, should you want to be a green pea like the rest of us, let me help you with that. No need to cry at all.”
The red pea looked up at his beautiful green mother, sniffled a little, and let out a soft yelp with a big smile.
“How!!?”
“Well, son, start drinking water. A LOT of water. Don’t stop. Keep drinking it. Then sit out in the son as much as you can. Don’t hang out by the ground too much. Climb up to the top of the world, wherever you can find a perch. Once there, open your eyes and see the beauty of the world. Before long, you’ll have what you want. You’ll be like everyone else.”
So the little red pea did as he was told. He began to drink water. He drank and he drank and he drank. Then he climbed up on top of the tallest plant he could find and looked up into the big blue sky. Rolling onto his back, he closed his eyes and began to enjoy the sound of all the animals, the wind, the rain as it came and went, and especially the singing of the other beautiful green peas. He drank more water.
As he sat there, the red pea became quite sleepy. He tried to keep his eyes open but couldn’t. Soon, he drifted off and began to dream.
He dreamed that he was walking down a path in the dark woods. He was crying. Crying over his redness. It was all he could think about. How ugly his redness was, how everyone else was green, and how they all seemed to not even realize how beautiful they were – they just were beautiful and green.
Then, he woke up.
Stretching his soft green sides, he yawned a big yawn. Then he rolled his green body off of the leaf he was on, forgetting that he was sad and ambled up to a group of his friends. They took one look at him and began to jump up and down, cheering loudly, all talking at once. He couldn’t understand a word they said, they were so excited, so he swiveled his green self around and…
“I’M GREEN!!!! I’M GREEN!!!!, “ he yelled!
“I’m green, I’m green, I’m green! I’m so greeeeeeeeeen!!!!”
The little green pea ran up to his mother, and buried his face into her soft belly and wept. Then he looked up at her, tears streaming down his face, and giggled.
“Thank you, mommy. I’m so happy.”
THE END
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