Once noticed
Care a lot about what other people think.
Really care.
Care so very much what they think that you express who you are through both fashion and behaviour.
Let it influence most of what you do.
Vacation plans?
Naawwww…
There’s probably some cause or some person WAY MORE DESERVING THAN YOU.
Never take a vacation. That’s decadent.
Take most of your vacation money and donate it to someone on the extremes of what ever part of the political spectrum you dwell.
With the rest of your cash
Purchase your very own crown of thorns.
Isn’t it jaunty?
It’s rather delightful in how it cuts into your scalp. Revel in tasting your own blood as it trickles into your face.
(don’t worry, it was an ethically sourced crown of thorns)
Join a religious order that considers hairshirts fashionable.
Find people to beat you for who you are.
It does not matter where.
They are out there and in surprising places too!
The most vicious typically have the best intentions.
They also have some of the most wonderful thumbscrews of shame.
Let the zealots who are better than you abuse you for not being enough like they are.
I hope you saved a dollar or two.
You did?
Good for you!
Purchase a couple of two by fours and a few eight inch spikes.
Make ‘t’ shaped structure out of two by fours.
Parade around town carrying this ‘T’. It’s a fun and painful way to let everyone see how much you care and how tough things are for you.
People will be super impressed with you and how hard you work.
They will be jealous of how much you suffer.
Go to a top of a hill with your ‘t’
Wait for Roman with a hammer.
No Romans where you are?
That’s a shame.
They don’t even care enough to nail you up.
Complain to the world that no one cares as much as you do.
If no one listens, get a megaphone.
If no one listens, take out an advert.
If no one responds, get a Phd in ‘being right yet disrespected.’
Let life pass you by as you struggle for the cause.
Next slather yourself in honey and delight in rolling in a pile of fire ants of moral superiority.
And with your last breath, ask your offspring to follow in your footsteps and you too will help make the world a better place for generations to come
"Next slather yourself in honey and delight in rolling in a pile of fire ants of moral superiority."
This is why I come.
Sometimes I wonder what inspired a post. This is one of those times.
I was raised with some expectations of appearances. The lack of expectations I can thank to being raised on the less attractive end of the socio-economic scale. But there are rules there, too. Don't be too happy. Others in your circle are suffering more than you. Being happy would be disrespectful. Don't be so happy that others look at you with envy. Manage your happiness. Dampen that down. If you improve your socio-economic status, few would flaunt it. In some situations, it must be hidden. Essentially, moving out of the family's zone on the class scale can be attempted if the reason is based on character or marriage. If it was based on good fortune, sigh, often the result of character, that should be hidden because good fortune shined on you and not the others. We wouldn't want the others to feel badly. Keep your good fortune and happiness to yourself. If you feel the sunlight touch your good fortune, panic. Someone can see it in the light. You must hide that.
A friend recently brought up generational poverty mindset which they grew up with. We both did, I just didn't have a word for it. They carried it for about 40+ years and have recently started, just started, to shed it. I didn't know where it came from, but knew they seemed to have a set point for wealth, and by wealth I mean money, health and happiness. They are changing and it's wonderful to watch. These conversations had me think about what attitudes I inherited. I do not announce good things to family. My family compares each other and I don't play that game. So, I don't tell you about my life. The acting small thing, fading into the background, it stops with me. I am still working on this, just not passing it on.
I've encouraged our children to step up. To see something they want and step forward. The vast majority of time, you don't get a prize. But you don't know outcomes in advance unless you don't try. Then the outcome is known. I email opportunities to them. Daily. At first, they thought I was telling them to do something, or asking them. I needed to be very clear. If I see something that I think you might be interested in, I am going to ensure you know about it. It's just networking, not a judgement. We are on the same page now. They ignore the things that don't fit and act on the ones that do and I trust them to make choices for themselves, no one else, especially not me.
I do have one rule. Hygiene. Your body and clothes are to be clean. Other than that, make yourself as happy as possible. Hmmm...being clean primes you for happiness. Washing removes yesterday's energy from you. Yes, getting dirty is fun. But energy sticks and if you are feeling melancholy, step 1 is a shower and clean clothes. Now, go be you, but scrub yesterday off of you so you can embrace today.