I Wouldn't Conform...If Not for Taxes

As I sit blaming myself for having conformed a bit more than I had planned, I realize that it was in some ways for survival. That's how every society gets people to conform, really. The true nonconformists live on the streets in the city playing their guitars for food, or are unemployed artists doing almost the same. For a short time, when we are little, we are our true selves. As we grow we are molded, painstakingly into adequate members of society. Our parents do it unconsciously, most of the time. Some are quite mean and do things for the sole purpose of turning their children into broken, self-hating souls, but I'm referring to the average, well meaning parent here. Some of them think it's good for the child, and survival is definitely necessary, but it won't lead to fulfillment and enlightenment, which I'm still hoping are human possibilities. Since I moved into upper-middle class suburbia, I've heard a couple of mothers bluntly say that their children are only allowed art and music as hobbies because they will never pay the bills. One wouldn't even let her daughter minor in dance at college. She is very proud the girl "chose" teaching as her major. Maybe that poor girl will get to inspire her students to do what they want with their lives. When I was in school, there were battles between students and the school board over how many electives we would take. We always wanted more. Young people have a natural affinity for variety in their learning. Perhaps the only reason adults don't is because they were pigeonholed as kids. After graduating college, I learned that every educational show I love has an anthropologist narrating it. Anthropology wasn't offered as an elective at my high school. I never knew what it was while applying for college. There is, however, a famous anthropologist who hailed from the very town of my high school. The town is quite proud of her, apparently. Bitterness will get me nowhere, of course. Had I built a career that I loved, I might have waited longer to get married and missed out on my three beautiful daughters. I now can work on a career for myself while educating them on everything I missed. Perhaps teaching them that they can make money through a more unique, interesting career will be the best revenge I can get. But what of the people who don't even realize what happened to them? They consider being bored and detached from their true selves a part of "growing up" or being "responsible". Who has been served by this? Society's purpose is still a mystery to me.