It's My Freak Flag and I'll Fly if I Want To!

Well, I'm back!

Sort of.

It recently occurred to me that the only thing I do with any consistency is reject social norms. If an opinion has been generalized and agreed upon by the mass ignorant majority, I shoot myself out of a cannon aimed for the opposing side. For instance, why do people always expect mothers to be good with children, or completely satisfied with being mothers? The pure act of having one's own children negates the ability to see any other children through the same perfection goggles that we wear for our own, and let's be honest, kids are annoying. Just because I have two perfect angels of my own, doesn't mean I give a rat's ass about that guy's honor student. Nor do I worship the ground my angels float above when they are acting as defiant towards me as I do towards the rest of society (there's a theme here).

But, for all intents and purposes, I've figured something out about myself. I love to protest. I protest so much that I'm practically a protestant, but organized religion is also something I (quietly) despute. And I protest much more than religious persecution. I just don't always have the time to make a sign and paint flowers on my VW camper van for a trip to DC. The fact that I sold the thing a few years before having kids means nothing. I must defy! So I do it in life.  I change the aspects in my life that contribute to the societal foibles that I dislike the most.  Sometimes it takes years, like hanging laundry to save energy (getting the necessary equipment and such), and sometimes it happens in a day, like shaving my head to protest gender norms. But changes are made and protests are lived.

Now, of course, I have a family. So, all of the ways that I bring my protests to life, must be done in a way that does not reduce my children's quality of life. It's tricky, no lie. Deep down there's a 50's mom bursting to make a Alien-like appearance wearing a pretty little apron and dancing delightedly with a roasting pan. But, while my husband would follow me on a crusade to the end of the world as long as he could bring his work laptop, we have always agreed that our children's health and security come first. So, my protests, be them radical to some, must be family friendly. No throwing water filled condoms at abortion clinic protesters for us! (Not yet, at least.)

We live dangerously outside of societies preconceived notions, but we keep ourselves cleverly disguised. You wouldn't know us from the Jesus-freaks next door, unless you read this blog where I will apparently be waving our unique form of freak flag.

I'm not sure how you should feel about this, but I need to do the dishes now, so you're on your own.