Post #172829 by Monkeyman on Mon, Jul 18, 2005 9:54 AM

I guess my thing is to straddle that middle line. Do I need to drive a 1972 VW bus and a pony tail to prove my identity or can I make it more subtle. Drive a mainstream car and live in a mainstream neighborhood because its comfortable and stable.

I work at a mainstream job because it keeps my family healthy (w/health insurance), Happy (with a house to live in), and Safe (with a little money in the bank).

If I were to live my dream life (as it appears in my dreams), I would be a rock climbing instructor in a mountain town or a scuba tour guide in the Bahamas. Some folks actually do that for a living but I am sure there are downsides as well. I also like having a wife and kids who know that I will be home at a certain time on most days of the week. They will be able to grown up with a circle of freinds that they will know from kindergarten through high school. I do like that part of being mainstream.

But then there are all the parts of my life that are just for ME. Thats where the old man clothes (ie-barcloth from the 70s') and old man music (music of my grandparents) come in. I spend my weekends making lamps and carving instead of having a tailgate party at a raiders game or attending a "how to increase your personal wealth" seminar at the convention center.

On the one hand I question myself and wonder if the mainstream has figured out something that I have not. Then again, I recognize how happy I am pursuing MY interests and hobbies.

Its a circle that will never be complete until I come to grips with myself. Striving for acceptance and denouncing conformity at the same time. The only people that can REALLY get away with denouncing conformity and acceptance are extremely wealthy (like a entrepreneur or rock star) or have fallen off the planet (living in a tree or under a bridge somewhere).