Tuesday, July 7, 2015

Tuesday Slice: Rebel without a cause

Most of the time, I'm a rule-follower.

I'm one of those folks who tends to work within social boundaries and guidelines.  I'm guessing that being the first-born, a well-traveled military brat, and one of those kids who-did-so-well-in-school-I-decided-to-become-a-teacher have something to do with that part of my personality.  My Piscean nature is not to be a boat-rocker.

But something in me must like to rebel, just a little bit.  In high school, it manifested as going to heavy metal concerts at night while I sang in Latin in the school choir by day.  As a senior I turned down a full engineering scholarship, because I knew I'd be a miserable engineer.  I got that third ear piercing in one ear, just because a friend had to buy two earrings but only wanted one piercing himself.  In my thirties, I got a tattoo, then a second, to mark meaningful life events (I'm planning a third).  I've tried my hand at motorcycle riding, and not just as a passenger, to push myself out of my comfort zone (still working on that one, too).

So this is what happens when I want to procrastinate on cleaning my desk, and my daughter gives me an almost-full container of Manic Panic and tells me to go for it.
Will the color be gone by August?  I don't know...and the rebel in me really doesn't care.  The rule-follower will be back to work, on time and on task.  As I counseled one student with whom I crossed paths while working at our district DAEP:  You can listen to Metallica on your way to work, and still be successful in a mainstream job.  The two are not mutually exclusive.

Do you have rebellious acts of your own?  Why do you think you rebel?  

8 comments:

  1. I love your advise at the end. So true. And you have me pondering my rebellious side...not sure but...thanks for sharing your thoughts today!!

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    1. Thanks for stopping by, Sally! I think as adults, a lot of what we do for fun is a bit of a rebellion against work. ;-)

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  2. What a fun read! I'm a rule follower too (only child here!).

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    1. As oldest/ only, we do tend to be "little adults" starting in our younger years, don't you think?

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  3. I was raised in an Irish Catholic community so the tug between rule following and rebellion is quite strong. I am the parent of teenagers so I listen to current music as well as the old. I have to be careful when I arrive at school to turn down my music because it might be confusing for children to see their 5th grade teacher pulling into the driveway with rap music vibrating from her car. I am not ready to make the leap to a tattoo yet!

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    1. Diana, I can so relate to the music blaring scenario! Gotta get pumped up to be "on" for the students, right? I didn't get my first tattoo until I was 31, and it was in memory of my Irish Catholic mother, who had passed away the year before. My third and last will be inked when I turn 51, the age she was at her passing.

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    1. Thanks! I get a little sad as I watch the purple go down the drain little by little with each shower....kinda hope it sticks around until August. :-)

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