Pulling the Mask off

No one told us adulthood was a trap.

If you've ever woken up one day and asked yourself "who the heck am I?" then you'll understand what I'm about to say.

As a mid-thirties professional, I've come to realize that the majority of our adolescent and adult lives have been unknowingly dedicated to stripping oneself of as much individuality as possible.

Dress the same, eat the same, socialize the same, keep up with the person next to you, and on and on and on.

Of course no one says those things out loud, but it's a subconscious grouping of thoughts that runs through many peoples' heads when perusing social media and following trends.

On the other hand, there's also something pretty refreshing happening. I've started paying attention to many people in their 30's, and realized they're going back to the interests they had when they were kids.

Did you love playing outside, digging in the mud, and making jewelry out of grass and clovers as a kid, but eventually stopped exploring in exchange for something someone else said was "cooler?" If you're my age, you're probably collecting plants now.

Did you love books when you were little but stopped reading somewhere along the way? I know you're hitting up a book sale this weekend.

Was 'little you' obsessed with saving every bug and animal in your neighborhood, convinced they'd cuddle with you if only you could catch them? You've probably been perusing the animal shelter social media posts and thinking about volunteering.

If you're leaning back into those little interests and things that have always lit up your soul, even though someone may have tried to blow out your flame, I'm super freakin' happy for you!

Seriously though, how did we get here? We've been conditioned to look, act, feel... -exist- only in terms of what makes everyone else comfortable. In some regards, I can understand why. Adults have to teach children boundaries and interacting with others in a way that is safe and respectful, but where is the line between general social skill acquisition and blind conformity?

If I'm reading the room of our generation correctly, it appears that many people are finally shedding expectations and ideas of who they "should" be and just BEING. It's a relief, really, to see this. The more you peruse social media, the more you see people sewing, gardening, reading, writing, exploring nature, and lesser, at least on my feeds, are the over curated 'highlight reel life' posts. Even more, there are posts exposing the secrets behind seemingly 'perfect' posts, people, places.

If you've come to adulthood only to find your life looking more like a curated Bitmoji situation that a real human experience, you're probably wondering, "How the heck do I get to know myself again?"

The answer, perhaps, lies in having a conversation with 'little you.' Find photos of your childhood and pay attention to the vibe, the things you were playing with, the places you most wanted to go. Try to remember who you were before everyone told you who to be. I think our most true selves are woven into the interests we expressed so freely before we were taught to ignore them for the sake of pursuing something 'safe' and 'practical.'

Who were you before society taught you to water yourself down?

If you've been noticing this phenomenon too, I'd love to hear what you think! Let's hear it in the comments. Now if you'll excuse me, 'little me' is calling.