Well-Rounded

You know how "They (yes, the all-knowing Capital T people!)" tell you that it is important to be "well-rounded" in high school? "They" say that you need to be good at all of the subjects in academics, play an instrument, join a sports team, volunteer, participate in your family, work a part time job, and somehow find the time and energy to develop your social skills among your peers. "They" want you to be able to show that you are proficient at many things, and that you are able to juggle.

All of this, of course, is so that you can trick "Them" into letting you into a good college (because you were never really truly interested in all those activities you poured yourself into), where you are supposed to forget that well-rounded Bull-Patuckey (yes, that is the Scientific term) and immediately jump head-first into one, single subject. You're supposed to drink lots and lots of coffee while contemplating things related to that subject. You're supposed to spend your energy becoming proficient in that one thing (and not in many things, as in high school). And you're supposed to love it. Once you're done with majoring in that one, single subject, you are then expected to get a job related to your "field of expertise" and spend the rest of your waking days obsessing over, and making money from, that one, single subject. Who knows? You may even make a lasting contribution to that one, single subject, as you spent so much of your precious time, energy, and passion on it.

Well, I've recently figured out that I do not fit in to this grand scheme that society has steered me towards, and you know why? I'm not happy only focusing on one thing. In fact, I'm miserable that way. Perhaps this means I'm somehow stuck in high school. But, I want to do a zillion-million things all at once, and I don't care if it means that I'll never be an expert at any of them. Sorry Society, I won't be one of those truly useful people you were trying to make me. Shucks. I guess someone else will be propelling you ahead of other societies with their contributions.

Seriously though! I don't get these people who are able to focus all their energy onto one thing! Maybe I'm ADD or something, I dunno. I need to do all the things I'm doing, even if it's so much that I'm often overwhelmed. I need to be working a full-time job, writing freelance, playing in a band, exercising regularly, taking an online class, traveling, learning a new instrument, learning to sail, enjoying girls' nights out with my girlfriends, all while working hard at being a good girlfriend, friend, and family-member and a loving, responsible pet-owner. I mean, as soon as one thing on the list goes away, my brain automatically starts trying to find something else to add. And the "hobbies" I've gone through are a little ridiculous: Jewelry-making, painting, growing herbs, learning the fiddle... the list goes on. One of the only few that has stuck, actually, is blogging (You lucky, lucky readers you...)!

And I've decided that I'm ok being this way. I'm not amazingly good at any one thing, but I'm Well-Rounded and proud of it!