Did Shakespeare write that? In Hamlet? I am unsure... anyways, it's a good start. And came to mind when, at lunchtime, I had a table of three ladies in for lunch. The simple act of one said lady ordering dessert after initially saying she wouldn't (because "they're being 'good', so so will I...") actually made me whoop with joy. They thought I was slightly deranged (maybe not, but their sideways glances at each other suggested that yes, they did....) but I was genuinely delighted. And I hadn't even managed to get the words, on the tip of my tongue, that she should not base her decision on theirs out.... Freedom of Thought 1, Group Mentality 0. How often do we question our behaviour? And how often do we find ourselves going along with the crowd, maintaining the status quo, rather than fulfil ourselves and go against the grain? I would say not nearly often enough and far too bloody often, respectively. This may seem very trivial, it was just a couple of slices of banana bread and some toffee sauce for God's sake. She didn't even eat the ice cream... But, in the grand scheme of things, in our daily lives we really should be paying attention to such things. Are we standing up for our rights, for what we want, for what we believe....? Too often, the answer to these questions, and a hundred more like them, is no. We have to be brave enough to say what we think, to have differing opinions and to stand out in the crowd. In this case, it was just a tasty treat at stake. Much more frequently these days, it's so much more.
Peace and Love
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