Being Different

Photo by Mulyadi

One of my favorite children’s books is called Will You Read to Me? by writer and illustrator Denys Cazet. It is about a pig named Hamlet and his struggle with being different. You see, Hamlet is not like other pigs. He likes to wear clean shirts and write poetry. His family does not get him; his siblings make fun of him, in fact. So, every night, Hamlet sits quietly in the forest and recites his poems in the starlight.

There is a lovely ending to this book. I won’t spoil it for you here.

Being different is not always easy, especially if it implies differential treatment, judgment, prejudice, or discrimination by others. Over the years, I have worked with many patients who struggle with this issue. Some react with outrage; others, despair. I have to admit, I often feel helpless alongside them, especially if the issue at hand has to do with the society at large. It is true that we tend to fear what we don’t know. But, at the end of the day, don’t we all value the same qualities? Kindness, courage, compassion — qualities such as these will never go out of style. They transcend time and culture. So, wouldn’t it make more sense to measure ourselves and others against these qualities?

For those who might have felt disenfranchised or even targeted, please know this — There are people just like you who understand your experience firsthand. Furthermore, there are also people who seem different from you at first glance who will accept you for who you are, given the chance. We can’t move mountains overnight, but we will eventually. So, I hope you will reach out to others. I hope you will choose to do good. I hope you will never, ever, give up.