Black and White

Back in the late 80's there was a singer named Leslie Philips who had a song called "Black and White in a Grey World." This song has recently come to my mind as I have been told I am a little too "black and white."

Crazily, if you really get to know me and hear my heart, I'm not as black and white as most people think. There are so many things I don't have the answers to like I used to think I do. There is so much that has gotten muddled in my head over the years. I'm plowing through like everyone else.

My black and white is not drawn in most moral issues. I have my thoughts about those, yes. However, mine are directed to rules designed to help an institution operate smoothly. When places of business, schools, churches etc... put protocols into place, they should be followed.

These institutions place start times, dress codes, safety guidelines etc... into place to make sure that day to day operations are able to be performed well. Those who choose to work at, or attend, an institution or organization should adhere to the guidelines in place. If you don't like them, there are ways to either shift and change those thought processes, or you leave and find another job, school etc.

Lately I have been finding that people do not care about protocols anymore. Sometimes they don't ask what the guidelines are, they just do. Sometimes they have the thought process that certain people get to do certain things and others don't because of status or their personality. The mentality is that I can do what I want and it shouldn't bother anyone else.

One example is, when dress codes are not adhered to, the atmosphere in the environment changes. It is a known fact that in if you dress nicely you carry yourself differently and approach tasks with a better mindset. If a business or school has a dress code in place, they have a reason for that. When it isn't followed, it affects the team and environment. Those who try to follow it get frustrated when they see others who don't care. Dressing down pulls everyone down.

Another idea is cheating. Guidelines are in place for how to approach time sheets, time off, tasks needing to be done a certain way, furniture in the office, tests in school, writing a paper - the list goes on. When those are fudged and manipulated, it affects the team. Again, those who are following the procedures put in place see others who misuse their time or cut corners with a task and moral goes down the toilet.

It gets even harder when administration and upper management do not seem to care. For certain people and individuals it is okay to let them do what they want to do. Certain people are allowed to push the limits and get by with it because no one wants to rock the boat. They might lose funding, or have to replace someone that seems difficult to replace, so they just let them get by with their actions that are not bringing the team together.

I'm sure you can probably tell by now that this is a pet peeve of mine. I'm trying to let it go and not be quite so black and white, and yet there is a sense that there needs to be some of that in our world. If we have no guidelines the world would be a crazy place. We can not all do what we want. There needs to be respect for others and some of that means giving up our desires, especially when we are in a workplace or school.

Here is a snippet of lyrics from the song.

It's not so easy finding answers in the shade

It takes some patience, takes some grit

But it's better than throwing all you colors in the street

What's life without color in it?

And I'm black and white in a grey world

Black and white in a grey world

Black and white in a grey world

Shades of grey get old. Life does need color. Black and white is definitely more bold than grey. And it does take patience and grit to bring the color in a healthy way.

Maybe I am too black and white. Maybe I expect too much. I am simply tired of people trying to "see what they can get by with" and taking advantage of other people. They end up walking on the ones who genuinely care. Most don't realize they make the world grey by doing this. An interesting concept to think about.

These are my rambling thoughts today. My desire is that we learn to work with and understand those around us. It doesn't mean we agree, but we see things from their perspective and we do our best to honor and respect them for who they are. It means giving up some of our desires in order to work better with those we come in contact with in these places of work or school. If we can't do that, then we don't need to be there and if we can't enforce the guidelines, then we shouldn't be in management or administration.

I pray we can all find ways to make adjustments and changes this week and year. That we realize guidelines are not all bad or wrong. That being black and white is not all bad. And, that we can keep the color in our world.

Love and blessings,

Rose