In My Opinion, I'm Not Allowed to Have an Opinion

I have held an opinion my entire life. Some are outlandish - I believe in aliens. Some rival crazy - I believe in most conspiracy theories. Some are based on facts - I believe flossing helps me stay cavity free. And some have changed - I now buy into the whole dinosaur thing.

My opinion has always mattered within the context of my family. If there was a household decision, I was able to voice my opinion. When I was 10, I held the opinion that life was completely unfair because my much older sister had a horse when she was little and I didn't. When I was 16, I held the opinion that the family needed to make the switch from AT&T to CenturyTel because all the 'cool' kids had the CenturyTel cell phone plans. Did I get a horse? No ... Did my family switch cell phone plans? No ... Was I irritated that no one agreed with my opinion? Yes! Were temper-tantrums thrown? Yes.
Since my family didn't bow down to me and conform to my opinion, I was able to grasp the concept of 'real life'- not everyone is going to agree with my opinions and that's ok! Yet, over the course of my adult life, I have learned that I am not 'allowed' to have an opinion ... on anything, much less voice my opinion - a far cry from my upbringing.

In my opinion voicing an opinion is a treacherous deed. Every single thought I voice must be considered politically correct. I'm not an evil person. I love people plain and simple. I don't care who they are, who they love, where they are from, how much money they have, or what they look like.Yet, the opinionated child from Louisiana has learned to never openly express her opinion. I have watched friends lose their jobs for expressing their opinion on Social Media outlets. (I agree ... bad move). I have lost close girlfriends over a difference of opinion (not by my call). Sometimes there are fallouts from a difference of opinion and that is just life. I can't control what other people believe, much like they can't control what I believe. However, I am tolerant and still love others even when don't share the same opinion. I don't want to surround myself with people who always agree with me, that would result in a dull, boring life. I want to be challenged, I want to think. I want to truly decide what I believe. Yet, society doesn't preach tolerance on expressing different opinions, society preaches the need to conform. In an era where we are screaming for social rights for everyone, we are ultimately trying to silence a sector of society that holds a different opinion. Do I agree with various opinions that have been voiced by mainstream personalities? Most of the time No ... Do I want to see them become social outcast for holding an opinion? No. It's their opinion, plain and simple. Conversations and change have been birthed out of a difference of opinions.

You may or may not agree, but that's the beauty of my opinion.