One and The Same (But Unlike Any Other)

I have lived in Happy Valley practically my whole life. I moved to Orem when I was six, and went through all of my primary, secondary, and post-secondary education within a 10 mile radius. I fell in love with this place, this community, this very Mormon way of life. Some could say I'm trapped in the happy valley "bubble," but I don't perceive it as something to feel ashamed of or suffocated by. That said, the entire time I was growing up, I struggled with feeling unique and authentic. It took me several years to realize my divine individuality, but once I did, I stood fast to it. I know who I am. I feel unique and authentic and genuine and different and REAL. I am unlike any other girl anywhere, and nothing anyone says could shake that confidence.

But not everyone knows that. Since coming to BYU, I have heard several people say how the thing they don't like about this place is that everyone is the same. I even have a few friends who think that all the girls have the same styles of clothes, of hair, the same ideas and outlooks on life, the same desires and the same attitudes. No one is interesting and everyone is a clone of everyone else.

Every time I hear this, I am really offended by their shallow-mindedness. Because despite popular belief, girls here are not the same. But there is a reason people sometimes think that.

Here, in Provo, UT, we are completely surrounded by members of the church. Faithful, testimony-building people who constantly try to do the right things and become better and better people. In the scriptures, Christ commands us to "be like me." Christ wants everyone to become like Him. Everyone. JUST like him. In word, in deed, in attitude, in bravery, courage, love, light, strength, mercy, forgiveness, dignity, grace, beauty. He wants all of us to be able to "see [His] image" in our countenances. And this is what faithful Latter-day Saints strive for. This is what righteous girls at BYU seek after.

When we try to align our lives to live like Christ, we become one and the same. We have the same goals, the same desires, and the same light and attitude and strength and many other things. It's no wonder outsiders think we're all alike; it's because we are. In one sense. But in another, we are also all different. We have different personalities, different quirks and struggles and ideas and philosophies. We have different interests, different styles. Every girl at BYU is unlike any other, anywhere.

And I think that anyone who is too narrow-minded to see that is missing something.

***Post-Edit:
I just wanted to say that I am not in any way angry or annoyed at the people who have this "Provo girls are all the same" mentality. It's the mentality itself that bothers me, not the people. I believe that we are not a pure product of our ideas alone, and that ideas can be changed. I realize I tend to make a really big deal out of this issue, and that may be due to the fact that I'm still insecure about it. Honestly, I don't know if I'm really that unique, but I sure hope I am. I write so much about this topic because it's one that I have thought a lot on, that I have racked my brain over, and despite that, I still don't have all the answers. Maybe I am totally wrong. Maybe I'm just trying to defend my dreams of individuality. Maybe I just need to let this idea go and put it to rest. Either way, this is all that I am going to say about it. I'm sorry if I make anyone mad by how worked up I get. I'm just like you, trying to make sense of this crazy world of people and ideas and things and to survive the process. That's all. :)******