Is it Just Me, or am I Judging to Much? Social Classes

Let's be honest with each other right now. I know you judge people too. I know that just like me, you want so badly to say that you don't, but you do. When you see the man walk down the street with a scruffy beard, mismatched socks, rumpled shirt, and dirt on his face you think a lot of the same things I do... like "Is he homeless or something?" or " He needs a shower and shave!" or " He must have made some poor choices in his life that got him where he is."..... But guess what? You don't know him, and I don't know him, so neither one of us can say that any of those things we think are true.

 It's funny, I've also realize that while we think negatively about people who we may think are below us (as far as social class goes) that we also think those things about people who are "above us" I our minds. When a girl comes to class wearing a nice, expensive, outfit with her hair curled, designer bag in hand, and a smile we may automatically think, " She is prettier than me." or " Her family is really rich." or " She doesn't know how to work hard." or " She is stuck up."....Why in the world do we think we have the right to judge somebody we haven't even said "Hi!" to?

Ultimately what I am trying to say, is that we are surrounded by great people that could become our friends if we would just let down some of our preconceived barriers and talk with them. All we need to do is get to know them, and look for their strengths so we can learn from them. Some of these individuals might even be within our own family. We just need to be open to the possibility that our first glance judgments may be incorrect, and then do something about it.

- Lacey

P.S. If you are interested in watching some of the videos that gave me some of my insights, here is a link!

• Please Like Us (opening teaser)
• Tammy's Story
• You might also be interested in this update on Tammy and her family, filmed in 2013.)
• Joe Queenan's Tour of Yuppidom
• Gnomes are Us
• WASP Lessons
• Belles, Belles, Belles
• Friends in low Places
• How to Marry the Rich
• All You Need is Cash
• Trouble in Paradise
• Baltimore Dive Bars
• Class and Family Structure in the United States". This short video by a noted educator and family therapist discusses how family structure frequently differs greatly along social class lines.

They Do What Now?... Learning to Love Differences

This post might be a little different than other posts I've done in the past, but I think I am finally starting to figure out how to be me while still sharing important information....We'll see how this goes!

So first off, I need to give a little more background. I'm from Idaho. I've never moved, and I have LOVED living here my whole life. My family doesn't travel too much but we take trips here and there to different nearby states. Just after my nineteenth birthday however, I choose to serve a mission and was assigned to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for 18 months to teach other people about my religion ( I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. If you have questions check out LDS.org). Wisconsin was the farthest I had ever been from home, but it was still the United States.... So it couldn't be that different right??? WRONG!

Now don't get me wrong, I LOVE the state of Wisconsin. A HUGE piece of my heart is in that state, but it was not like the home I was used to out west. The people in Wisconsin said funny things like "Oh you betcha!" and "Don't you know!" and they liked to eat sour kraut. They even had a side of cheese with their apple pie....Where in the world am I?? To top off the strangeness I felt being in a new place, the city that I first lived in had large sections of ghetto which was very different from the atmosphere I was used to at home (on my families ranch). Its an under exaggeration to say that I was out of my comfort zone. There were many different ethnicities, and types of people in Wisconsin and I didn't understand why a lot people did the things they did, or said the things they said, but this is what I learned.....

Everyone is different. Everyone is weird. Everyone has their own quirks. Some quirks are more noticeable than others, but everyone has them. I thought I was "normal" going to Wisconsin, but I realized that to a lot of people in Wisconsin, this Idaho farm girl who was teaching people about religion was very strange. I learned that if you want to be happy and really come to love people you have to put your own perceptions of "normal" aside and learn to love everyone for being their individual type of normal. Is it easy? No! It's so worth it though. I  look back at the time I got to spend in Wisconsin, and I know that if I hadn't learned to accept difference, and look past those differences to see who those people really are, I  would have missed out on many opportunities to make some life-long friends. I suggest each of us try and find the good in others who are different, and learn to love them for the things that make them unique and their own kind of beautiful. Will you join me?

Please feel free to post questions or comments below.
-Lacey

Family Theories

Have you ever heard of a family theory? I can tell you I definitely hadn't until this week. So incase you are wondering, I'll explain a little more about a few different family theories.

1) Conflict theory- This theory (to put is simply) is the idea that individuals in a family are viewing things as a competition and ultimately want to be right to have a greater ability to influence others. I like to think of this as the time when me and my brothers got in a disagreement over whether or not my high school or their high school was better. Ultimately, we were having the conversation only because we are competitive with each other.... things like that happen when you got to rival high schools. :)

2)Symbolic interaction- This family theory suggests that each individual has a different perceived meaning of an action or situation. Have you ever seen the movie Hitch? My fiancé and I were watching it the other day and I realized that Hitch's first day when he goes to the museum with his future girlfriend is a perfect example of symbolic interaction....He sets up this really thoughtful date, takes her on the lake, and then he set it up so that one of her ancestor's names would be visible in the record book... really cute right?? Well it is, but because of the story and perception that the girl had to go along with that ancestors name it brought her to tears. Hitch's perception was that he was doing something great, while the girl's perception was one of disgust. Luckily it all worked out in the end for them!

3)The Exchange theory- We all know this one! It's hoping that the costs will be lower than the benefits. We have all experienced this when we have gotten into a new relationship. We consider the relationship and decide if the costs will be greater or less than the benefits and based on what we think we choose to either keep the relationship or let the person go.

To learn more about family theories, or to find more check out the blogs of some of my classmates under the fellow blogger section!

-Lacey

New Family "Trends"

It is no secret that there have been some major changes to what is considered to be morally correct within families over the last few generations. Over the last 100 years, morals have changed from couples waiting before marriage for sex, to people who just met at the bar going home together. Many new mothers aren't married, and many couples live together before they get married. Some people are so terrified of commitment that they choose not to get married for years, or never marry. Many marriages are short lived, and end in divorce only a few years after they begin.

Why is all of this information so important?

Well, there are a few different reasons I briefly need to address......

First, family is an essential part of why we are here on earth, and they bring the greatest happiness that we are able to experience in mortality. In a document released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints called, The Family: A Proclamation to the World, it states, "The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan." I've come to know that is true for myself. I have also come to realize, that God's way always works better than man's way. Marriage is ordained of God, and gives greater stability to relationships. Marriage gives children a stable environment for children to be raised, and allows for growth together as a family.

https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation?lang=eng

Another aspect many people may not consider is that as marriage and family relationships decay, the population is decreasing with it. Many reports recently have emphasized that the world is becoming over populated, however, the numbers tell us otherwise. Yes, the world population currently is higher than ever, but the fertility rate is below 2.1 which would sustain the population in future decades. With the population below 2.1 the population will decrease which eventually could lead to a major population drop. For more information on the "Demographic Winter" Check out the following link:

http://www.byutv.org/watch/59b6b917-984a-478f-93b1-521a647779c4/new-economic-reality-demographic-winter-part-1

Fellow Bloggers

Check out more blogs focusing on the family!


http://lifeafamilyaffair.blogspot.com
http://brady-nothingbetter.blogspot.com
  briannalongfamily.blogspot.com
http://brittlefevremadetolast.blogspot.com/
http://caitlynricks.blogspot.com
cartersfamilyrelationsblog.blogspot.com
familyrelations007.blogspot.com
cherrijohns.blogspot.com
familyis4everandeverything.blogspot.com
cheyannejones.blogspot.com
https://daniebradshaw.wordpress.com/
emilyhopesmith.weebly.com
gretchenleealifeworthhaving.blogspot.com
haileyhutchinson.blogspot.com
heidicwood.weebly.com
hunterllsteed.blogspot.com
http://jeffreymonson.blogspot.com/
kassidyhamberlin.weebly.com
http://kelsierichins.blogspot.com/
kristifarnsworthdeaver.blogspot.com
http://2day2morrow4everfamily.blogspot.com/
www.growsunshine.wordpress.com
leeandrawheelock.blogspot.com
http://lilyrutan.blogspot.com/
http://familylifefoundations.blogspot.com/
http://melissakdavies.blogspot.com/
ryebread2016.blogspot.com
https://serenityhubert.wordpress.com/
shelbykluesner.blogspot.com/
taylorwillie.weebly.com terrimoria.blogspot.com

Getting to Know Me- The Blogger

Hey there!

Thanks for checking out my blog. I'm not the most poetic or insightful person, but hopefully something that I write will inspire you, or help you in making a difficult choice. Who knows, maybe something I write will be exactly what you needed to read that day. I don't really expect it, but if it ever is, I would love to know!

Soooo.... a little about me. My name is Lacey, I grew up on a cattle ranch in Idaho. I loved my childhood summers playing outside with my cousins. I also love to horseback riding, running, fishing, and four wheeling.  I have started writing this blog for one of my classes here at college, so I thought I would briefly share a little about my family.I have been blessed with a wonderful family who I absolutely love. My parents are incredible! I literally couldn't have had better parents for my personality. Looking back it seems that they always knew exactly how to discipline me even though at times I did not understand it. I have two older brothers who have been great examples to me and I love them TONS! They have become some of my closest friends. I am also currently engaged to Hunter. We have known each other for years. We went to elementary school together and sat next to each other in the 6th grade. He is a wonderful man, and I am very blessed to know him.

 I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was blessed with the privilege of serving a full time mission for eighteen months in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. My time in Wisconsin helped to open my eyes to understand that their are many families in need of support and encouragement to stick together in today's world. It helped inspire me to work towards becoming a marriage and family counselor. I also became to be a bit of a Packer's fan with a tour to Lambeau Field.

Again, thanks for checking out my blog. Please feel free to ask questions. I hope that in some way, this blog will help you in your journey.

-Lacey