When I was in high school, and when my kids were in high school 30 years after I was, there was always the issue of ‘being yourself’. In our ignorance we thought the other kids were all alike and we wanted to be different. We wanted to be different together though. That is the key, even within individuality there is a natural desire to not be TOO different from each other.
My father used to make fun of all us high school buddies because we talked about being individuals but all wore the same sort of winter jackets, had the same sort of hair cuts and all just happened to like the same sort of looks in girls. How individual were we really?
My father was a business man so he, of course, had a suit and tie uniform he wore to work. But he also had a great deal of individuality in his casual dress and the things he surrounded himself with. I appreciated that a lot as I got older, and it gave me the confidence to feel comfortable standing out or fitting in, depending on the circumstances.
What are your memories of trying to fit in or stand out? Did you imitate a lot or did you lead the way and others imitated you?
Drawing and commentary by Marty Coleman of The Napkin Dad Daily
One year ago today at The Napkin Dad Daily – The Single Biggest Problem in Communication