Equality through difference

There has been a big push for equal treatment for all people no matter what across the board.  While I agree there are some things that every person should experience (respect, kindness, love, etc), I feel that this latest push seems to have gone awry in the definition of equality.  It seems that people are beginning to think equality means sameness.  "We all need to be equal" seems to be more, "We all need to be the same."  I believe equality is something very different.

I was watching a TV show where these people were trying to get a couple of horses to work together to pull a wagon smoothly.  As I watched them it hit me that this is a great example of equality through differences.  Both of the horses were yoked together to work as a team to be able to pull the wagon smoothly.  Does that mean that each of the horses were identical?  No.  They were still individuals but worked together to make a team which were then finally able to accomplish their goal.  This is what I think a good relationship is made up of.  No, not a couple of horses.

I believe that in a positive relationship there are two individuals that bring unique talents and abilities that when coupled together are able to accomplish amazing things.  This doesn't mean they are both the same or even equal.  It means that each one of them with all of their differences are equally needed in order to accomplish whatever their goal is.  It's like driving an automatic car with a brake pedal and a gas pedal.  They are not the same or even treated equally.  The gas pedal generally used to create forward motion.  The brake pedal is used to stop this forward motion.  They are very different and yet one does not do well without the other.  They are both equally important when traveling and needed to reach your eventual goal.

While I do believe it is important in a relationship to find things that you have in common with one another, I think the idea of finding equality through recognizing the fact we are different and bring unique talents and abilities to the relationship can help to create bonds that are even stronger and able to accomplish greater and more wonderful things.