Choosing to be an Individual over Being in a Herd

 

As humans, it seems we’re always choosing, or feeling we have to choose sides. We’re either this or that, belong to this group or that organization, with some being seen as right and others wrong.

This past year it seems the divisions have become more pronounced with political sides and the CDC pushing for herd mentality and there has always been the religious side with the church and their flocks.

But what if you don’t want to be part of a herd or flock? Not every creature in nature is of that mentality. There are those who are individuals living more solitary lives. God gave us brains, so why are we being forced to always follow the dictates of others? Why do we need to be forced to do or think like others if it feels wrong to us?

Even as a child, I didn’t fit in with others very well. Something inside me just didn’t want to do what every other kid was doing or liked. It started a very young age. Girls’ favorite color was supposed to be red, but I chose blue as my favorite.  Girls were supposed to like dolls, but I’d rather be outside playing with my brother’s trucks or off in the woods exploring or building forts and tree huts. When the Beatles became the rage, I chose the Monkees as my favorite group. There was something deep within that had me choosing my own path.

As I grew older, I found myself shying away from the popular trends. I never wanted to be a sheep. I wanted to be a horse – strong, elegant, stately. Yes, horses run in herds, but my vision was of them running free across the plains and doing their own thing.

Unfortunately, that made me an outcast and very shy. I was ridiculed throughout all my school years and even into adulthood. I was the odd person out, last one chosen, when participating in groups and events. Why was I so different? Why didn’t I fit in? Oh, those painful, younger years when I was made to feel there was something wrong with me.

Yeah, there were times when I’d get on a bandwagon with others, but it never lasted long. That something inside me always made me stick to my inner self… even when I didn’t fully know what my beliefs were. All I knew was I didn’t want what others wanted. (I realized, in my later years, I am a lot like mother... wish I could have this discussion with her now.)

It took decades before I learned to be comfortable with who I am… and yes, sometimes there is guilt when I feel I’m not what others want of me. But I can’t be what I am not! That’s the main thought has kept me going all these years.

I don’t have anything against people coming together for a common cause. I don’t have anything against God or higher spirits. It’s the manipulation that sets my Spidey-senses off. Whenever I feel someone or some advertising is trying to shove their beliefs or products down my throat, my entire being balks and I question the ethics, integrity, intent of what it means.

Marketing – whether marketing product or belief is understanding human behavior and knowing how to manipulate the masses. And they have learned to do it well. This has been going since the beginning of mankind. We’ve been manipulated all our lives. Join this group. Be a member of this organization. And I am refusing to play the game. I’m not trusting anyone or anything that I feel is being forced on me.

So… what about those of us who follow our own paths? Does that make us wrong? Whenever something gets too controlling, I feel claustrophobic, and these days, now that I’m a history buff and have a better understanding of the past… I believe my inner eyes are now more open than ever.

I’ve been thinking of this for awhile now but wasn’t quite sure how to write about it. I guess I’m a quiet rebel. I’ve never been one to force my ideas and beliefs on others. Of course, now that I’m older and I’m able to live my life more on my terms, I do have more courage to speak up (write about my feelings).

Today, in reading the Sunday Coffee blog by Eric Rhoads, publisher, he, too, talks about choosing how to live our lives, such as: Doing what you want on your own terms. Not caring what others think. Not following the path we think we should follow. Pursue what you love with passion.

“It's so easy to lose sight of who we really are because the world is always telling us what we should be. We're all too often seduced by shiny objects.

“What if you and I were truly ourselves at all times?

How would we change the way we live?” – Eric Rhoads

God gave us brains to think for ourselves. Logic, sense. Logical is a word that comes up often when I read about current affairs. There doesn’t seem to be much logic nowadays. We’re being told what to do and we’re not allowed to say anything against it, and we’re supposed to go along with whatever they dictate to us.

My Spidey-senses are on high alert.

So, what do I do? Avoid the negativity and hatred as much as I can. Be as wholehearted as I can be. Stick to my beliefs… unless I can be proved wrong (and so far, I’ve not been), be kind, and humble. When I choose to live my life my way, I am content and satisfied.