Do we create our own lives? How much of our lives are spent meeting the demands of “authorities”? From a young age we join systems that tell us that they know what is good for us. Parents, schools, religions and our families set out a map for our success. Our vulnerable innocent minds trust our elders and blindly follow their life prescriptions for our lives. We trust their wisdom.
Now, as an adult I seriously question the wisdom that was so lovingly poured into my innocent mind. I have my own kids now and I seriously question what I am passing on to them from my own life experience. I see their perfect minds and beautiful individuality. I don’t want to corrupt them with old rules and washed up wisdom. I do not want my kids to blindly trust the well trained authorities in place of their own judgment. The authorities are mostly people who have been trained on how to teach kids how to behave so they can fit quietly into the system. This is not a system of drawing an individual out. It is a system of fitting into the blueprint of mass obedience.
Most of us grew up in families with their own code of proper behavior. We were expected to carry the family name obediently and follow the rules of our tribe. Eventually, after the toddler years at home or daycare, the majority of us filed into public schools where we we became a tiny fish in a huge pond. Little by little our individuality was scraped away. All while we thought we were being good obedient good children. We learned our core curriculum like good little kids. Perhaps we got a gold star or a personal chat with a teacher here and there. We rushed from class to class and learned a lot of stuff that couldn’t possibly be put together to create anything that made sense. Most of us had the same requirements in school and family despite the fact we are unique individuals. We all needed to learn the same way and we had to learn basically the same things. As if a musician needs to focus on the same classes as an engineer. It’s all crazy!
No wonder we flounder around confused and spouting fake wisdom as adults. A lot of us are just passing on the same example we had. Just say what you are told! Go to work, get the job done and then come home and teach your child the same thing. But, do you love your work? Do you think it matters? I honestly hope so. But many of us fill our time being grown students in a system where we have no say in who we want to be as adults. I say get rid of the system and just be who you are and raise children who are thoughtful intelligent beings despite the systems they are in. Don’t give up on what you know to be true.
Rosemont Reflections 