To Be Different, or Not To Be Different - That's Also Not the Question

Another of my allergies.


When I was traveling to work this morning, I saw a poster telling us not to look for the differences, but build bridges. Sounds like a lovely suggestion, doesn’t it. However, as usual, the world is not quite as simple and black & white like this.

Here is what I would say:

“Look for the differences. Don’t judge, but use the differences to each other’s advantage. Build bridges with those differences. Believe me, it will create fanciful, fascinating and innovative new bridges.”

That’s a crap, really too long mission. Let me try again:

“Build new innovative bridges with the differences to each other’s advantage.”

What I’m doing here, right now, is practizing my mission statements skills. When I was still a student there was one course dedicated to formulating missions. It was a warm summer day like today, and it was dark and cool in the classroom.

I made that last one up. Seemed dramatically appropriate.

Yesterday, my colleague and I kicked off our department’s new era. We already secretly started, but yesterday we officially started. The first assignment is thinking up a good mission statement which we can put on a flyer and spread throughout the whole company. The next step will be rewriting the “Product Diensten Catalogus” (Translation: “Product Services Catalogue”). That’s quite fun to do; it adds some variety to my work diet.

The start of this post was also partly inspired by the post about the gay question.

YouTube link: Jake's Changing Looks

Just like with the “gay” issue, it’s not being gay that is the issue, it’s the way people treat gays, that’s the issue. It’s not people being different that’s the issue, it’s people judging each other based on those differences. Of course everybody is always right and their differences is what should be the mould for all other life. In some cases, yes, the other is wrong, or maybe you are wrong. In a lot of cases however, nobody is completely right or wrong. Sometimes you just have to agree to disagree.


The last time I said that online, someone told me I was the biggest loser. I replied with a *shrug*. Worst thing (for that person, cause his/her comments don’t colour nicely on him/her), it was about something trivial; Jake’s looks. Oh, no, wait, That Is important.

Here's a game for you: Spot the difference!


Jake (twice) in the new film "An Enemy"