Exceptions

As I was driving home tonight after a conversation with my closest friend, I started to think about all of the rules I seem to break just by being myself.

By that I mean that I seem to be an exception to most generalizations. I don't have poor self esteem (anymore) even though it's said that all girls do. I'm still a virgin, even though most people don't even believe me when I say that because it's so uncommon to be 20 and still a virgin. I didn't go to university (yet) even though most people do, and despite the expectations my teachers and parents had for me. The list goes on.

I defy the "rules" just by remaining true to who I am and following my own set of rules, not the same ones that most people seem to follow. I think that most people wouldn't be able to explain their decisions. A lot of times we just act without thinking, because we know what is supposed to come next. We know that after high school comes college so we choose a school and go without thinking about alternatives. There are no alternatives presented, and if they were to be presented, they are made to look less attractive. For instance, a student hoping to go to college is seen as less intelligent than a student aiming for university.

Or a young teenager who is just thrown into the party scene without really considering it, simply because it's said to be normal, expected of them. Two nights ago I was out for dinner with two friends who recently got married. When my friend's husband went to the washroom a guy from the bar came over to try and talk to my friend and I. I think he was trying to be cool when he asked if we planned on getting high that night. I responded "that isn't really our style" and he laughed and said "fun isn't you're style?". Quickly after that comment my friend's husband came back from the washroom, recognized the situation and bailed us out.

I just find it fascinating that there is a huge culture of people that believe that there is no fun to be had aside from alcohol and drugs. The most fun things are better appreciated sober, in my opinion, and my friends are so amazing that we don't need any substance assistance to have a good time. I think more people would find this to be true about the people they spend time with if they would take some time to soberly enjoy the people in their lives.

My point is that we are meant to be individuals with separate places to go and separate paths. There is no "right" path and no "wrong" path. There is only YOUR path and my point in all this is to encourage people to seek out what is right for them and to look beyond the mediocre into the adventure that they are on the cusp of creating.