Sasha walks to school with a fox fur wrapped around his neck if he feels like it. He likes that one, calls it Ferret. His outfits are often different and so are his ideas. He talks about going to Australia to see lizards and has a plethora of ideas that go from hanging out with Komodo dragons to living on a remote island like the Swiss family Robinson. That’s who he is and comfortable thank you very much.
Kids have that, they affirm themselves. If given enough room to grow and be themselves, they tell the world what they like, what they don’t, what they plan to grow up to be and they don’t think twice about wearing what they like, unless self-consciousness rears its ugly head and self-confidence pulls in much like a snail’s eye when you blow on it. So here I am asking you and asking myself too if we are who we really are. And if we are a certain kind, if we are ourselves, what’s wrong with that?
The other day my cast-less walking prompted some congratulatory remarks followed shortly by “Now you’ll be staying put for a while, and really why not be like the rest of us…” Not trying to act restless for the sake of it, truth is the six weeks of relative confinement have gnawed at my patience so I am more than eager to go out and move like I used to. Which is what I say to people if they ask. I want to do what makes me feel good and I missed. And then I get the “why can’t you be more like us” thing again. So I’ll say it straight up and I will do my best to raise my boys to say the same: I am who I am, and that could be different from what the next person is like. That’s how it should be.
If we’re different we can still learn from each other. Being the same, conforming so that one’s head does not raise the established baseline, that’s the beginning of blah. Nothing to learn, nothing to be inspired by, not to mention the lack of satisfaction born of not being who you really are. As long as I’m not hurting people with my actions or way of living, as long as I am myself because that’s fulfilling and makes me a better person, I’d say there’s nothing wrong being being myself. And there’s always room for improvement, it should be. I am a work in progress, inspired by others who dare to be themselves. Most will roll along with political correctness to not get in any trouble, others will adhere to what others want to hear of them. Like lukewarm water one could say. Not cold enough to quench your thirst but not hot either to leave a mark. I’d be inclined to say that we’re not meant to be lukewarm but become like that. I’d rather not. You?
