tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post9151460971514605936..comments2024-03-19T07:36:33.915-04:00Comments on Of Battered Aspect: Ruby's OoopsDave Hingsburgerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11918601687946534172noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-29604418639659712312018-07-25T02:15:57.643-04:002018-07-25T02:15:57.643-04:00I spent a lot of my life trying to fit in.
It neve...I spent a lot of my life trying to fit in.<br />It never really worked. Not for more than a few minutes.<br />I don't remember exactly when I stopped giving a s@#t about what other people think of me.<br /><br />I am a much happier person now. And I still have friends.<br />Actually, I have more friends now than when I was so worried about what other people thought of me.<br /><br />The mantra I learned was, "What other people think of me is none of my business."<br />I wish that I had learned it earlier.wheeliecronehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10570378001102933660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-619384999052595312018-07-24T11:39:32.240-04:002018-07-24T11:39:32.240-04:00I run into this kind of thing all the time with my...I run into this kind of thing all the time with my kids. Raised out of the mainstream, they just assume other people have the same value set. Over the years. I have dried a lot of their tears cried because they don't understand why most kids don't like them or respect them. The fact that adults LOVE them doesn't really make up for it.<br /><br />Sometimes I think I haven't prepared them well for the dog eat dog world we live in. Ideals are just that--ideals, not reality. But I have to believe that ultimately it's so important to do what is RIGHT, not popular, even if it leads to loneliness. I can only hope that their principles guide their actions all through life even though they will never really fit in. It makes me sad.Shanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10704810407872873565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35743239.post-61850187468923204842018-07-24T09:20:06.292-04:002018-07-24T09:20:06.292-04:00Early in my freshman year in high school, my socia...Early in my freshman year in high school, my social studies teacher asked the entire class: "How many people in here consider themselves to be an individual?" Everyone in the class raised there hand - except me. He looked at me and said (in his baseball coach voice): "Arnold! You don't consider yourself to be an individual?" I looked around and replied: "I'm the only one here who didn't raise my hand." The class laughed - he didn't. He considered me a troublemaker after that and treated me as such (as did many other teachers that year as word got round). <br /><br />The "real" world of schooling / segregated by age group activities has little to do with individuality and its celebration. It has to do with compliance, assimilation, and conformity. I LOATHE those things. (I also loathe the current model of public education.) <br /><br />I hope Ruby isn't discouraged by such a real world set back - but rather marks those set backs for what they are, and learns from them. But more importantly - despite the pressure to shine no brighter or differently than anyone else - she let's her own bright light shine. =) Ron Arnoldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05852385982605070675noreply@blogger.com