HONK! A "different" musical

As a youth pastor, I get to catch all manner of performances.  For some of you this makes youth ministry sound better... "I get to see live performances?!", others see it as further proof for why they don't hang out with teenagers... "I'd have to see live performances!"  I love it, partially because it let's me do two things I adore: become more rounded AND encourage the next generation in their passion!

In light of, or perhaps because of, the above, I was able to see Parkview Highschool's performance of Honk!  The musical is an extended look at the tail (sic) of the ugly duckling.  The teens and supporting adults did a great job with the show and you could tell they enjoyed themselves (it's a lot less pleasing when they don't!).  A quick side-note and special thank you is in order for Aaron Stevens, Amanda Creech, Breanne Case, and Spencer Stevens (first name alphabetically organized) performing so admirably and introducing me to the show.  You guys are much better centers of attention than I.  Thanks for the invites and reminders.

Back to HONK!
A song of note is "Different".  It focuses on how even before the ugly duckling/swan hatches, it isn't like the others.  From there, it reprises post-egg and the word captures the little fowl well.  Standing out, something the baby swan can't avoid thanks to drastically different costume, appearance, and vocal capabilities, causes the creature no end of harassment from the other farm animals.  There are a few moments where even the mama duck isn't sure what to do with the odd product of her nest.  The ones who are most willing to offer the outcast a kind ear are the most ugly, the frogs, and the most beautiful, the swans.

The commentary provided by the musical has bounced around and gathered an odd collection of ideas.  Near the top is how scary it is to be different when we all seek acceptance.  This is most evident in teenage years.  Teens will sacrifice the wisdom of parents, and even their own pre-made decisions to experience acceptance (think any bad idea brought about by peer pressure).  Adults aren't immune, though, consider how many of us keep up with the Jones.

How do you reconcile the fear of rejection with the desire to be an individual?  It's akin to how we'll order a diet coke with our triple bacon cheeseburger.  Or more painfully, how we say we love them and stab them in the back.  We are broken, inconsistent, and fragmented.  We long to be told we're okay and welcome, but then we balk at being pigeon-holed.

The musical addresses this in saying that we choose to embrace our difference from others but still choose them (perhaps why the swans and frogs are most willing to be with the ugly duckling, they know themselves and are true to who they are).  If we learn to accept ourselves first, we get further down the road.  This falls on the heels of the transformation of ugly duckling into beautiful swan, which makes it an easier acceptance for all.  This is the joy of the stage.

One of these things is not like the others... and that's good!

The burden of reality isn't always as easy.

Sometimes we don't become swans and we don't see others' transformation.  There are times when the ugly duckling remains a different creature.  The day doesn't always end as well as a 3 hour play, BUT this enforces the worth of self-acceptance.  You are, as I am, rather wonderful, carefully crafted, and masterfully added to the world by a Creator who knows what he's doing with his creatures.

I brought home a report card full of C's once.  Mama had a few words for me about doing better.  I tried to explain, with what my 8 year old brain considered to be good logic, that C was average and therefore not bad.  Mama looked me in the eye, and said, "You shouldn't look to be average." I had been given permission to be abnormal, ill-fitting, unusual, above-, around-, and far from normal!  I think I've succeed well in that, sometimes to Mama's frustration.

You might not need anything else, you might need a million other things, but here is your formal invitation and expressed permission:
Be different, be okay with it, and accept us for being different too... you beautiful swan, you.