Friday, September 08, 2006
Words of wisdom from Harold and Maude
Maude: I should like to change into a sunflower most of all. They're so tall and simple. What flower would you like to be?
Harold: I don't know. One of these, maybe.
Maude: Why do you say that?
Harold: Because they're all alike.
Maude: Oooh, but they're not. Look. See, some are smaller, some are fatter, some grow to the left, some to the right, some even have lost some petals. All kinds of observable differences.
You see, Harold, I feel that much of the world's sorrow comes from people who are this,
[she points to a daisy]
Maude: yet allow themselves be treated as that.
[gestures to a field of daisies]
While we're not all special, unique snowflakes in the general sense, in our own lives, we are. And Maude is right: valuing what's special about yourself means not ignoring these things, or allowing people you love, who have known you all of your life, to disrespect you or stomp on your feelings.
Even if you don't want to hurt them back, you have to stick up for yourself.
