I was born this way

Tonight's "Glee" episode was predicatable but yet inspirational. The assignment for the week for the Gleeks was to acknowledge the one thing that they would like to change about themselves either be it their nose, their fight with OCD, their identity, the eyes, their handicap, etc. Not only did they have to think about what the one thing was that they would like to change, but they also had to embrace it and support one another with each other's personal challenge. For example, Rachael wanted to have a nose job after her ex boyfriend accidentally broke her nose. She claimed that her nose was too big and too sterotypical. By the end of the show, she decided that the nose job was not in the cards for "she was born that way." A very poignant part of the show was when Quinn was exposed as being a fake. She was not always the perfect size 1 waist, blonde hair blue eye beauty that she is now. Matter of fact, at one time, she was a size 16, black hair with pony tails and wore large glasses. It was society who changed her. Her boyfriend carried a picture of the "old" Quinn in his wallet and said, in a very tender moment, "This is the girl I fell in love with" as he held up the picture to the "new" Quinn.

At the end of the show, all the cast members wore t shirts with their "challenge" and sang Lady Gaga's "I was born this way" as an anthem of acceptance.

Although I felt this episode dragged a bit, the poignant parts remain. How many times do we judge people for their outside appearance and not for their intellect or their inner beauty? Society has driven us to me "perfect" and "on top" at all times. Where is the acceptance that someone was "born" a certain "way"?

Yes, there are many things that I would like to change about myself - I would love to lose twenty five pounds, change my eye sight so I do not have to wear glasses anymore, be a bit more patient with those who tap dance on my last nerve, etc. Then there are things that I would not change for they are part of me and yes I accept them for "I was born this way." I have been very fortunate in my life to date people whose beauty came from inside and not based on outward appearance. Yes, they were good looking- very good looking. However, their real beauty came from within. For them, I am grateful.

A show about typical teenagers who just happen to break out in song for no reason has a message unlike many television shows of today. Tonight's lesson-- accept your faults. Accept the challenge to change those faults, should you choose. If you choose to change - change because you want to and not because society wants you to do so. If not, accept the faults, accept the challenges and be full of "Glee" for "you were born that way."