A number of years ago, I happened to be Resident Dramaturg with a theatre company doing a premier of a new show titled "Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins" by Brian Christopher Williams. I mention this because your piece here very much reflects the core of that play and a playbill note that I wrote for it. If you get a chance to catch the play, please do; you'll find yourself right at home.

Take a careful look around you. Each person you see is driven by the same need to be a part of something. They seek ties to their ancestors and strive to leave a legacy for those yet to come. What have they sacrificed to gain your approval? How have you adapted to meet their standards and expectations? We all struggle to fit in because we believe we are alone in being different and can only be accepted by becoming more like those around us.

There are times in our lives when these conflicts define our existence, a rite of passage, like the bridge between childhood and adult society. Some are planned, like a bar mitzvah; and others are random events presented by the world around us, like the struggle for civil rights or taking a stand on a war in Vietnam… or Iraq. Our reactions to these trials reveal who we are and, often, who we will be throughout our adult life. In an ideal world, a rite of passage would be a personal challenge, tailored to test the individual’s unique combination of talents. The community would know how each child would react; the trial simply proving that they are ready for the responsibilities of adulthood.

In reality, the way we react to these frequently unplanned moments is far less expected. We rise to the challenge or fail under its weight and reveal characteristics that have been masked until that moment, marking us as hero or villain. We portray ourselves incompletely, hiding parts of our true nature, to win a particular reaction from our community. And often, the rite of passage fails to be a challenge at all and our strengths and flaws remain hidden from our community… and from us.

Unfortunately, some communities judge those who do not conform to expectations as less worthy. They ostracize these individuals instead of celebrating qualities that would allow them to make unique contributions. This leads to fewer people revealing their true nature as they hide behind ill-fitting masks; afraid to remove them, even forgetting that they are there. This is our ongoing challenge: to be honest with ourselves and our children, to encourage them to find their own way, and to build a world that does not need masks.