Sometimes Being the Same is Good

One of the adages in my household is ‘if everyone was the same, it’d be boring.’ I’ve always encouraged individuality and self-determination in my kids, trying to steer them away from becoming fad-following teenage sheep. So it’s with hat in hand I admit sometimes being the same is good.

What brought me to this conclusion? Would you believe a concert? Last night I attended one of the high school’s many end of the year events – a concert that included a performance by the guitar ensemble. Twenty-four black-clad guitarists took the stage, each with a nearly identical acoustic guitar. They all looked the same, they all sounded the same…and it was amazing.

I know, “one band, one sound” and all that (5 points if you know what movie that’s from). But even in a band or a choir, there’s still variation. And even in some of the pieces the guitar ensemble played, there were harmonies. But what was surprising was how great it sounded when all 24 guitars played the same note. No differences, no variation. All exactly the same.

There must be some deep philosophical realization to be made here…something like ‘many people working toward a single goal makes achieving it that much better’…or ‘being different isn’t always the best way.’ But I leave it to you to come up with more interesting and meaningful sayings.

I still believe in embracing uniqueness. But sometimes, sharing your uniqueness can lead to something beautiful.

UPDATE: Here they are!