On being different. I’ve never been one to follow the crowd, heck my kindergarten teacher told me Mom that when I was 5. It’s one of those hindsight things, I should have embraced it from that moment on. But I had the typical childhood & teenage angst and chalked it up to that. I did my own thing but would never broadcast it. Again, I should have just embraced being me. Fast forward to college and I started taking steps to being more of me instead of following the crowd. Baby steps. But it was progress. 30 hit and I knew that I was done being like everyone else. It had been a hard year and I kept seeing everyone around me living their life. Jealousy and a desire for normalcy hit. But that was wrong, and I knew it. I am not your average 30 something, heck I am not your average woman. I know that and live it.
I don’t (and won’t ever) have kids. I don’t live in the tan house, in the tan suburb. I don’t go on vacation to Mexico or Jamaica every year. Or go to church on Sunday’s. If that’s your thing, great. But it’s not mine. Instead I live in a very unique house on a few acres, have 2 dogs and a pet pig, travel the world, I’m an atheist (not something I have ever shared on the blog), I’m terrified of spiders, love great food and wine. That list could go on and on with all the reasons I am me.
Over the past year I have drastically changed my circle of friends, I am even closer to a select few and I’ve branched out to meet people who share my passions. I have done the same with family. While it hurts to say it; I’ve lowered my expectations. I will never had the super supportive family who “gets” me. That’s ok! They are still my family and I love them. Just because they don’t see things the same way as I do, doesn’t have to change how I feel. What it has changed is the type of conversations I have with them. It’s more high level than deep into details and feelings.
As I settle into my mid 30’s I am choosing to embrace my different. I am focusing on a career that I love, on my husband and animals, on seeing the world, on my set of beliefs. I am not one to follow the crowd but I am going to start deviating even more from it. I have the confidence to embrace that difference and I choose to not be like others. This is my creative outlet and I will continue to use it as such. But I am not going to start creating recipes or posts just to be like others. I’m going to write what makes ME happy.
Thanks for reading and support my decision to be different and not follow the blogging (or any) crowd.
