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Majoring on the Minors

Oct 27, 2004 Print This Post

{ MOOD: Thoughtful | ITUNES: “All I Want” – The Lightning Seeds }

Majoring on the Minors

For some reason, that phrase has been on my brain today. I really don’t know why and I’m not sure how it popped into my brain, but here it resides. Here are some of my random thoughts.

*I DO THIS. How often I major on things that are so insignificant. I get worked up over something that doesn’t really matter. Something that is personal preference or cultural. But, ultimately, who cares?

*WHEN I SAY “WHO CARES?” AM I MAKING A MINOR OUT OF SOMONE ELSE’S MAJOR? Just because it is a minor in my life, does that make it a minor in everyone’s? The phrase “don’t major on the minors” implies that there is a standard line in the sand: majors on one side, minors on the other. But is that really the case? Three cases in point:

1) PIERCINGS. I am reading a book right now where the author says everythime he sees someone with a piercing, he thinks they are trying “to find themselves.” To him, he sees a big problem. For me, I got my eyebrow pierced because I thought it looked good and my wife thought it was hot (my word, not hers…) on me. For me, minor issue. For that guy, major. Who is right? Me, for sure…

2) LANGUAGE. For one person, the word “sucks” means nothing. For some, it is majorly offensive because it carries cultural baggage. Who is right?

3) ALCOHOL. For one person, it is a minor issue. Beer with dinner, no biggie. Just make sure you don’t give it to a minor, that would make it a major. For another, it is a big deal. And they can even point to scripture or culture or whatever to make their point (right or wrong, they can do it). So who is right?

Majoring on minors. Or gray areas. They make life interesting.