You can't please everyone. I don't know why we even try. We think maybe, that we'll be able to make people happier, make them smile a little, then when you present your opinion on a matter you find out who they really are. This is a good thing really, it gives you an opportunity to decide who you need to keep in your life, and who you need to let go. Negativity is never something you should embrace. Cut it out! It may hurt for a minute, but let it go. You'll thank yourself later. I know I did.
The other day I was cruising through Facebook and found another challenge that people post so others will learn more about the author's personality, their likes or dislikes, and maybe even something about their past that may be relatable. This was a post written and submitted by an author whose books are not necessarily to my liking. I think it's fair to say we all have our own preferences and that too is fine. We need to have that. We don't need to all read the same things, nor to write the same way. It's a good thing.
The challenge asked the readers to find a photo or two of a fashion, or some sort of clothing article(s) that would adequately describe who they were. The challenge went on to say it shouldn't necessarily be something you would wear in public, but something that if people saw it, and they knew you, they could say "that reminds me of so-and-so, he/she embodies that!" It sounds harder than it was. I immediately knew where to go to find something that reminded me of who I am. It took me all of three minutes to locate a few photos online. I copied them, and as I posted them I gave the photographer credit. I will say that more than 400 posts were posted and there were about six of us who gave credit!! C'mon people! If you didn't take the shot, don't claim you did by not revealing the photographer! That's another matter entirely.
So, I posted my photo and several people "liked" it straight away. I was, however, bowled over when I saw the comment of one individual who said "aren't you older? Why are you claiming that's who you are. Shouldn't you show something more mature?" Do the words "F*ck you" come to mind? They did for me. I wasn't even nice about it. I fired back something to the tune of "I noticed you shared a boy in a black hoodie. How dull. I hope you find yourself soon." Maybe I shouldn't have been so abrupt, but that too is a part of who I am. I defend myself with words and had the man been standing in front of me and said that to me I may have defended myself with my fist...with one finger standing straight up in the air. I wouldn't have hit him. Violence isn't a good thing...usually.
What did I focus on then? The other comments. I let the anger and upset feelings be acknowledged so I could dismiss them properly. The people who think you should "act your age" or "be age appropriate" with style are people who have neither style nor any concept of what was taking place in the 60s and 70s I suppose. We were living freely, lively, colorfully, and artsy, and for the most part, there wasn't any real danger or gruesome crime! We were happy people with great music and cool cars. Yeah, I posted the photo that I have posted here so you can see exactly who I am, and what you'll be dealing with if you see me. I would wear that outfit, thank you very much! I'll wear whatever the hell I please, and you can bet your last hard-earned dollar (or Sterling Pound) that I'll do it with flare to boot!
Speaking of boots, I've been told I have too many. What does that mean? Is there some legal limit to how many pairs of shoes or boots a person can own? I counted. It's 17 pairs of boots and 22 pairs of shoes including trainers or sneakers. I'm a girl, OK? Sue me! I counted my cowboy boots, I counted my mucking boots, my riding boots, and of course my combatish boots...the ones I'll end up using to kick someone in the ass if they need it. Let me show you what acting my age will get you. We kicked people in the day! We also like to remind folks that we're still around after being subjected to playing in creeks, eating tadpoles, swinging into lakes, fishing with our hands, drinking from the hose, and riding in cars without seatbelts while dad smoked his cigarettes! We didn't have AC in our cars. We didn't have grass under our playground equipment; nope. We fell onto the pavement and skinned ourselves pretty good! Did we cry? I don't think so. We couldn't let the boys see us cry!
Tell me again how frail you think my generation is and you'll catch the end of it for sure. That is unless I'm too busy laughing about what you think is cool and what really is. Punks. You can't see me giggling, but I'm giggling. Take the cell phones, tablets, and gadgets away from people less lucky to be born during a time when we had to communicate, and you'll see who survives. Give it time folks, every generation is made fun of by the next, and with each new group comes more addicts, more depression, anxiety, more suicides, more crime, and more out-of-control maniac mental behavior. I think we knew better because we still prayed openly, and we extended a hand to someone who really needed it.
What does it mean to be age appropriate when describing yourself? Well, I guess it means you have to be honest, open, inflective, and careful to be true to who you are, not allowing the Killjoys out there to stain your experiences. Be YOU. That's the only thing you can be, and damn, if you're a boy in a black hoodie without a face, without a direction, I don't want to read your book buddy. Just sayin'. Why be a beetle when you can be a butterfly? DREAM PEOPLE!!
Photo Credit: Etsy
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