Free to Be...You and ME!!!

Today, I found out that a friend's brother came out as a gay man a few weeks ago. He had a girlfriend in high school, but was never really happy. He met a man a couple of months ago, and they became close. He realized that he was attracted to his friend, and had been suppressing his homosexual feelings for a very long time.

He came out and was TERRIFIED of the response that would come from his family and friends. I'm glad to say that everyone who matters, has been happy for him, and had guessed a while ago :-)

I jump from this story of self-awareness, discovery and acceptance, to the cd in the picture.

If you were a child in the 70's and early 80's you have probably heard this album. It was dreamed up by Marlo Thomas and had a great number of big celebs (for it's time). Mel Brooks, Alan Alda, Carol Channing and Dick Cavett to name a few.

I am surprised that so few people remember this record. It has had it's place in American culture, I mean it was mentioned by Carrie and Stannie in an episode of Sex and the City ("Stanford: I also got them a CD of Free To Be... You And Me. Carrie: I loved Marlo Thomas! I played that album all through the fifth grade. I wanted to run as fast as the wind. Stanford: I played "William Wants A Doll" so many times I almost turned my little sister into a gay man!")

Free to be you and me had one main message to share with kids and grown-ups alike: No matter who you are, or what you want to be, That's OK!

There was a lot of concern because the content was radically feminist at the time. It's ok for girls to be masculine and boys to be feminine. A football star told us that it's ok to cry. A mommy and a daddy told us that they are just regular people. And, in one of the albums most famous songs (and controversial) It's alright for a boy to want to play with dolls.

I played this record over and over as a child. I have truly fond memories of my Mom singing along with me to "Parents are people". It made me laugh to think of my Mommy as a kid like me at one time.

I found this on cd just a couple of months ago and I snatched it up again. I have been reliving some happy times as a child with these songs and skits. I recommend finding a copy and sharing it with a child in your life, or even sharing it with your inner child. It will make them really happy. Trust me on this one. :-)

In that same episode of SATC, in a voice-over, Carrie wonders "When we were younger, Marlo Thomas sang to us about accepting each other and our differences, but then we got older and started singing a different tune. We stop celebrating each other's life choices and started qualifying them. Is acceptance really such a childish concept, or did we have it right all along? When did we stop being free to be you and me?"

That's a good question that we should all ask ourselves!!! Comment on this post, Please! I really want to know what you all think about this idea of Celebrating ourselves and everyone else for being the real you. Why do we find ourselves afraid to admit our true feelings sometimes?