About Being Different

In the last week, some people were astonished at my views. Perhaps they do not conform to the stereotyped image of me. But then, I am no stranger to being different, the odd one out. I'm used to it. It all started with me being a leftie. Being southpaws attracted attention since school, and still does. One of my islamiyat teachers lectured me about it being sinful to use my left hand and I thought, then has God sinned by creating me this way? This was one of the things pointed out by my father in law when I got married. It was then I first realized I had married wrongly. But this state of being different went on. I was brought up at par with my brother, encouraged by my father to think for myself and question ideas that we take as givens in our society. I got married and then started studying again, became a civil servant after becoming the mother of a child, topped my batch and became ok with being the lone woman in the room in most work situations. Now i dont even notice gender. Slowly my feeling of being different changed into a lifestyle. My reasons for joining public serv ice were also sadly different. I wanted to do good, help people and devote my life to helping others by using my power and position. I have fallen over many times trying to do and say what I think and feel is right. But God has always given me my feet back. I chose to be out of a relationship which could only continue through hypocrisy, rather than hang on. That is also called different around here. So, I am used to being the different one. But that has made me bolder, stronger and more certain of my ideas and ideals. Opposition has made me aware of how one becomes a threat by being different and believing in new ideas and having the courage to act on them . I am the outsider looking into the system. Social change is imminent. We cannot blame the rot on any one segment, each reflects the tendencies of our social mores. Lots of people among us say that we need a different way of thinking and acting as a society. But we are reluctant to apply these ideas to our own lives. Our lives are mired in hypocrisy where paying lip service is not only enough, it's the done thing. The first step to a new life pattern is to stop lying to oneself. For me this is always a good start, and plus it is different, and takes you down new vistas forever.Helps to stop lying to others too ! Where is the harm in that...