Life is a journey, and there are many different pathways a
person can choose to take along the way.
We are not bound by a set of rules.
This is the one thing I know to be true.
Yesterday, as fireworks burst out amidst a rainy 4th of
July, I found myself watching a party supply commercial that in vivid, colorful
detail explained everything that an American would need for a proper
Independence Day party. This commercial was
followed by an advertisement for all the correct holiday food needed to
celebrate. And, that was followed by one
letting all of us know where we could buy the clothes we would need to make our
celebration appearance. After turning
the TV off, I looked outside at the rain drizzling down and relished in the
idea of settling down into a nice rainy day.
The peaceful quiet made me consider all the paths we are
nudged towards during our lives. From
birth these “nudges” come at us from all directions, and they come to us in the
form of expectations. Disney princesses and
good southern upbringing nudge us towards the mythical happily ever after. Society pushes us towards acceptable careers,
habits, hobbies, etc… Media infiltrates our minds with all the stuff we need.
The list goes on and on.
“Nudges” are thrown at us so often, we are slammed so hard
by them, that we eventually become numb and start going with the flow because
it’s easier to follow along than to make a decision on one’s own.
So, as I watched the rain fall down in perfect droplets on a
holiday when picnics and outside celebrations are considered the “way” to
commemorate, I was reminded that that too was a great path to follow. Sometimes doing the different thing is the
right choice.
Does anyone else struggle with the choice in doing what’s
expected or stepping outside the norm and taking the path most right for you?
I usually do a little of both. It's like we are conditioned to be one way, although I have rebelled all of my life...so no one is surprised when I step outside 'the norm'. LOL They kind of expect it. ;-) Nice post btw. =)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Hey, everyone loves a rebel! :) Reminds me of one of my fave Harry Potter quotes said by Hermione.."It's exciting, isn't it? Breaking the rules."
DeleteConformity rolls up over my back and right on out the front door. Anytime I hear the words, “everyone , all, expected, proper, or what is considered acceptable”, I immediately begin to process in my brain how to flagrantly display more of a “because we’re different, Sally”, attitude”. Since childhood and throughout most of my entire life, I have made waves and waved a flag of individuality and have been quite pleased to do so in every single aspect of my life. (The two exceptions were during my two marriages, in which I forsook remaining true to myself and beliefs in order to get the yard mowed and play music.) You live, you learn, and when you know better, you DO better. And when I had enough of losing my self and individuality, these words became my personal mantra:
ReplyDeleteLet freedom ring, let the white dove sing
Let the whole world know that today is a day of reckoning
Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong
Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay it's Independence Day
In regards to the advertising for July 4th (and all other over-the-top celebrated U.S. holidays), watching TV in the first place makes me think of cows in a herd being led to a nice pile of hay. Everyone absorbing and buying into whatever BS is being served as truth. Wasting hours in front of useless drivel, while THEY choose what you’re watching. I mind. I don’t need or desire to bake, decorate, celebrate, dress or fire off $500 worth of fireworks to have a day of joyful independence. (This goes for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all the rest of it, too). Being in a position where I can enjoy EVERY day as I choose to live means independence to me, and creating a life of simple joys is what I consider bankable.
Usually when I am being “nudged” by some of those in “follow the leader” mode of thinking and behaving, I employ my own personal method of shoving back which normally includes the gesturing of my middle finger,(think Johnny Cash here).. I consider it a privilege to know my own self well enough to know that I don’t need suggestions or recommendations from the chicken-hearted to point out the path that is unique to only me. I am not talking about care and concern from an actual friend with your best interest at heart. I am referring to those “herded cows” who want you to be just like them so that they feel validated in their big barn lot of looking, acting, talking, driving, dressing, eating, marrying, living in houses that are just the “same”.
From the time I can remember, I was an eager rebel. I eat and breathe wanting to do things differently, creatively, and in my own way. I don’t join groups for this very reason. I don’t want to wear a uniform or be required to agree to someone else’s standards or stupid clubhouse (For Boyz Only) rules.
People like me can be grand leaders or grand failures. It all depends upon your point of view. I hope my life will always be one that never contains a usual, expected point of view. Sometimes, my choices even surprise me. Which is more interesting, and anything but dull. For the record, I had a very pleasant and pleasing 4th of July holiday, but wore some crummy old shorts and a tshirt…Nothing red white or blue.
Nothing red, white or blue.....That should have been my title. Being true to yourself is the key to living happily and well. Knowing who you are and what you stand for goes a long way in keeping you from being "nudged" from any direction!
Delete