Dear Editor:

Kermit the frog sang this song, which has continued to spread the goodness in life we strive to achieve. The line – “It's not easy bein' green” means blending with other ordinary things is often the very thinking we have when we need to choose to stand apart from the crowd. Kermit was correct - It's not easy to be who you are meant to be.

Where do you stand or what do you stand for?

We grow up defining who we are. If we allow others to define who we are, life will be a lot more difficult. It isn’t easy being us. Whenever we have ideas or visions that are different from our group of friends, how we respond will tell others who defines us, our character, and our values. It's not easy being different.

Do you stand for courage, honor, or kindness? How do you show that?

Do you stand for truthfulness, compassion, or fairness? Is it easy?

“It's not easy bein' green - having to spend each day the color of the leaves,” says Kermit.

In America we pound our chest in pride of our country. If you have seen other people do the same in France, Japan, Germany, Morocco, or Ireland, turn the sound off, and you might notice our silent motions look similar. So is this pride of country or a way to congratulate ourselves as if we alone made it a success?

It's not easy bein' green, but when it means our silence ignores the very life of our neighbors, the children next door, or means we have to give up the very things that matter like justice, caring, or integrity, who really defines us? Life is often a tumbleweed, but it’s value remains in the rays of the sun, and the courage we muster when we see it's not easy bein' green. Do we keep our moral compass? What do we stand for?

Jarryl Larson

Edgecomb