What Does the Meme Mean?

Whatever happened to the days of "No shoes, No shirt, No service?"

EVERYONE welcome? Really? My first thought was "give me a month . . ."  

How could ANYONE disagree with a statement like "Everyone Welcome?"

This statement is especially well chosen as it overhangs the entry to a health food co-op that employs a very diverse staff and serves a diverse people. And also it dispels the idea that you have to be a member to shop there, which is optional. Makes total sense.

But I don't think it really means me. I am an old fogey who tries not to visibly cringe at the tatoos, piercings and gender . . . opinionatedness of the staff.  And I am a Catholic to boot.  Am I welcome?

There have been all these signs popping up around town saying how welcome everyone is, in all these languages. My neighbor has one. I know for a fact that she does not want anyone (wait, maybe she just doesn't want me) popping in on her, ever.

So if it doesn't mean "Everyone Welcome" what does it mean?

I recently got in a disagreement with a Facebook friend who posted the meme above along with the comment that it was sad that not every home agreed with this. All the statements sound really positive but after some friendly bantering back and forth about whether kindness really is everything, I responded with the meme below and the conversation came to a (merciful?) end.

All the statements on their meme SEEM gentle and kind and completely unarguable (which is, of course, why you need Facebook friends like me.) But they are all really meaning lots of unspoken things. . . And don't even get me started on "Love is love."

"Kindness is everything" really means challenge nothing we value. Everything is fine. Peace, peace.

"They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace." -- Jeremiah 6:14