November's theme: For real this time...A trip down memory lane...

Teen Files 15 Minute Preview from Rodrigo Torres on Vimeo.

So, a huge part of me from my glory days, that I am trying to bring back, is the philosophy of Challenge Day. One of the most amazing programs that I have ever been a part of.

The basic program takes 100 high school students, from all different backgrounds and cliques, puts them in the gym, and runs them through activities and games to help them get comfortable with one and other. Then the students get in groups and start talking with guided questions. Every time people end up sharing parts of their past and their secrets with virtual strangers, sometimes with people whom they hated just the day before.

The result for the people in the room is that they treat those differently when seeing that everyone has a past. Knowing that even someone who seems to do things so mean, can be in as much pain as they are causing. Understanding that we all have similarities, we can all share something and move forward as friends.

With the marriage debate, I think this is something for everyone to think about. Many LGBT Americans are worried about their rights to express love and be treated equally. This is very logical to most of those who read this. What are the other people thinking? I think some straight couples are afraid in many of the same ways we are. They may be afraid of losing the structure of family they know and love. They may be afraid that if they support something outside of the realms of what they are taught in church, that God may punish them or deny them blessings (sounds similar to what kept me in the closet for years).

If we wanted to be treated right, then we need to treat the people we understand the least right. We need to love people and find where they are coming from and give them the chance to know us. When we become mean, or hateful, or lose the love in the battle, then we may indeed not deserve the rights we want so bad.

Please if you have 15 minutes, view the above website. Also feel free to visit www.challengeday.org. Let us all try to understand each other, even in weakness.