Significant Paths

Individuality has always been important to me


Even as a child I felt a strong desire to be different if it didn’t feel right to do what everyone else was doing. In grade school, I remember one girl who thought she had to read every book I read. The first few times it happened I let it go but bothered me and when she wanted to know what I was reading I closed the book and wrapped my arms around it so she couldn't see the title. She simply looked on the check- out- list and found out anyway.

“When you bring that book back let me know so I can check it out,” she said.

“There are other books you can check out,” I told her.

“But I want to read the book you’re reading.”

“You can read another book while you wait,” I told her, but she didn’t. She waited until I returned the book and then checked it out. This really disturbed me. Couldn’t she think for her self? I would not be responsible for her. I snuck the book from her desk and hid it. When she found it, I stole it from her again and put it back in the library. That ended the game, because she never thought to find a book on her own.

Years later when my first child was born, I worked at the hospital three to eleven. Edward (my husband) kept the baby at night and I kept him in the mornings. We only had one car and Edward would bring the baby with him when he came to pick me up. As a result, the child was awake least until midnight. When my head nurse found this out she came down on me like I was an unfit mother. But he sleeps during the day, I told her. According to her babies had to go to sleep and be awake at certain times like normal people.

Baloney, I said. Keeping him awake so he would sleep late-- well actually, so I could sleep late the next morning worked perfectly for all of us. Later I realize now I was lucky that my first child happened to be a night person because that routine would not have worked with my second child. We are all different despite the fact we are shoved into so many different general categories for the sake of society but none of us really fit into someone else’s box. Our religion or lack of, hangs out one side, and our personality with our own peculiar quirks peeks over the top or oozes through the cracks in the bottom. Do this, do that is preached from many but whether we do or not may lead to consequences both good or bad but it is our choice.