Notecard with Pink Ribbon

I think that sometimes people suffer from information overload, especially when it comes to forming some kind of an identity. There are the messages you get from your family, home base or tribe. I would imagine that would be the first information one gathers in life. Then there is the public education system, peers and classmates as well as images we see from the mass media whether it would be on television, the internet, movies or those pesky magazines at the check out stand.

It’s a bit overwhelming; it’s amazing that there are even a few of us that come out sane in adulthood after being exposed to years of that. It also doesn’t help how much of a conflict results from growing up in such a culture. I live a thousand miles away from home, and yet, if my home tribe were where to tell me they were adamantly against something I was doing, I would probably change course to some degree, if not stop entirely, just because of their say so. I’ve come to accept the part of myself that is rooted in their belief system. I like to think I’ve just kept the good parts, the parts that work best for me.

I think that sometimes people just allow themselves to get overwhelmed. Yes, it’s stressful, but in a way, isn’t that the price we pay for this kind of freedom? There are definitely times in my life where I just wished a letter would show up at my house with instructions on what to do with my life. A step by step plan, tailored just for me, to be the happiest and most content I could be with myself and my life. Sadly, there are no such things, which is good, because with each new day comes with new information. I can adjust and grow as my life calls for it.