Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat

Ever heard of Guys and Dolls?

There's a song in it called Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat. I don't know that anyone has ever said those exact words to me, but boy have they been implied a lot in my lifetime. I've never exactly been a conformist, but I also wouldn't say that I push boundaries for the sake of pushing boundaries. I simply feel how I feel, believe what I believe and I am not going to apologize for it (and I don't necessarily believe that you should).

I will admit that I have learned to soften my tone and approach over the years. However, it doesn't keep people from being uncomfortable. It doesn't make some conversations easy or less awkward.  I'm creating waves in someone's otherwise peaceful ocean of blissful ignorance/plausible deniability. I'm causing unrest on someone's peaceful beach where they typically think about little beyond the bubble they live in.

It has happened in school. It has happened at work. It has happened in a car with friends. It has happened at church (a lot!!!!). That last one bothers me the most.

Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat really means:
1. I don't want to be challenged.
2. I don't agree with you.
3. You're pissing me off. (see 1 and 2)
4. You're a woman, why are you even talking? (in a church setting mostly!)
5. We've never done it that way. We've always done it this way. No change. No change. La la la.

Shall I continue?

In the past few days as I have mulled over the events in the US, I've prayed and thought a lot about the best way for me to use my 'gift' of being a 'boat rocker' in a productive way. So many things, I feel begin with education - educating myself on the things, historically, that I have been unaware of, blissfully ignorant to. Discomfort. Awkward, sometimes tough conversations. Those are the some things this girl expects to experience and pursue in the coming days.

And if YOU are sitting down, I hope you'll think about standing up for things that matter.