My Place in Society

I was thinking about each person and their unique place in society. It's an interesting subject, and one that really has a life of it's own. It's kind of funny, really, how the importance of our 'place' changes at different points in our lives.

Like when I was in high school. Things that were so important to me at that time are clearly not important right now. The importance of being a societal acceptance was not foremost in my mind at that time. My personal society consisted of my peers, my classmates. What did they think? How did I fare up to them? Was I comparable? I didn't necessarily want to be the most important person, nor the most well liked; just wanted to 'fit in'.

I came from another state at a horrible time in a young person's life. I was 12. I was 12 and gawky and spoke differently than everyone else. I had no idea what hail was, nor had I ever heard of a snow day. I grew up in California. So here I was in Connecticut - West Haven, to be exact - as an anomaly. I was an outsider.

Everone in my class had been going to school together since kindergarten. Not only was I a newcomer who spoke a little differently and acted a little differently; but my parents were divorced. This was a big deal in my day. It was just another thing that set me apart from my peers. One does not want to be set apart at that age. Yet, what choice did I have? None.

So I went to school every day and endured the wrath of my classmates who felt I should not be there because I was a little different. Everyday someone threw gum in my hair. Everyday. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't all awful. I met a good friend then; and we are friends still today. 30 years later! Thanks for always being there, Lisa!

So all this thinking of society and our place got me thinking. I wonder how it is today for teens. Is it that important? Has the psyche of the teenager changed that dramatically in 30 years? I am not so sure. I think not.

I see today how it's almost a good thing to be different. How some teens go out of their way to be seen as unique. I think it's great that today a person can be who they want without fear of getting gum in their hair (trust me, it sucks). But on the same token, it's almost as if one HAS to be different in order to be accepted. That if a person ISN'T different, that is what makes them stand out and be ridiculed.

Something to think about, I guess.

chat soon.

xoxo