If You Believe Everything

If you believe everything pop history tells you, you may believe that Michael Jackson was a hero. 

If you believe everything you read about agriculture, you may think that denim cows are the most mistreated animals on earth. 

If you believe everything from Washington DC, you may believe that the Oval Office was clueless about Benghazi. 

If you believe everything you hear, you may be a bit concerned about how you're fixin'  to charge your iPhone. 

If you believe everything you read, you may believe this:

But believe me: 

Don't believe everything.

Not everything you hear is true. 

Not everything you read is credible.  

Not everything you see is real. 

Not everything people say is right. 

This has become increasingly evident to me since late last week, when I read the story of the parents who have allowed their very young daughter to take on the role of a boy: dressing her that way, cutting her hair and calling her their son, because she said was a boy and didn't like dresses. 

You know what? I hated dresses as a young girl, too. 

My thighs rubbed together. 

It hurt like hell. 

I am completely taken back by this entire story, which can be debated for hours. But that's not why I'm writing. I write because the little girl's life is forever changed based off of a claim she made early, as she learned to speak. A statement of what she claimed to be at three years. Her parents believed everything. 

I could barely rationalize not strangling a sibling over a Cabbage Patch doll when I was that age.

So many young kids think they're firemen. 

Doesn't mean we suit them up and send them into the burning building. 

Young girls think they're mermaids. Doesn't mean we push them into the pool and teach them to swim. 

Kids have no idea who they are, except for who they're taught to be. 

Heck - at 20 I was barely figuring out who I was. 

You know what I thought I was when I was three-years-old?

Adopted. 

Both older siblings conspired to call me, "Lindsay Shirley Jean Bowman".

According to our "family history" (sketchy, seeing as how I never had a baby book) my real mother's name was Shirley. 

Unlike my siblings, I had green eyes because of Shirley. 

Shirley was also where I got my curls. 

(Darn you, Shirley)

Sure didn't help that we sang Psalm 23:6 before every meal at Grandma Bowman's house. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. - Psalm 23:6

If my real mother, Shirley,  follows me everywhere, 
why haven't I met her?

Not everything you hear is true. 

Even twenty years later, I heard something that I believed....for a bit. 

In college, a gal told me that I'd "never be anything but a big-haired-fat-person".

Ouch.

Perhaps worst of all, the scorn came from a sorority sister. 

I never truly believed her words, but I tell you what: I'll never forget them. 

It's things like that - when not paired with self confidence - people may find easy to believe. 

Thanks Betsy, wherever you are. 

Your words became a great reference for encouraging people to question to outside sources. 

If you believe everything you hear, you may make judgements based on ignorance. 
If you believe everything you're told, you may learn to dislike yourself. 
If you believe everything people say, you may question all of the hard work you've devoted to a program. 
If you believe everything, you may to not believe in anything, at all. 

Speaking of...I heard last week that scientists have discovered that solar panels are draining the sun of all of its energy. I knew I shouldn't have bought that solar powered watch, and I asked Cody to consider returning our solar powered fence charger. 

If you believe everything...