I've just finished reading In My Skin by Kate Holden. It's a searingly honest book and so beautifully written that at times it felt like a volume of poetry. I could go on for a bit about the insights gained into the prostitute / junkie world, but weirdly enough the biggest take-out I had from the book was a throwaway paragraph early on where Kate mentioned that her family started their own school with a couple of other families.
Isn't that amazing?
I'm so admiring of people who manage to do extraordinarily unique things. Those who carve out a new way to live their life their way. Who don't care what 'everyone' thinks of them, they are too busy just getting on with this business of living truthfully and creatively. Kids aren't coping at the school up the road? Getting bullied, judged as odd? No matter, we'll just make our own school with our own idea of cool and they'll totally fit in. Will we care that they are still 'odd' sorts of kids to everyone else? Hell no! We'll just ignore everyone else and it won't matter a bit!
Sick of everyone judging your child on their gender alone? Let's just not let anyone know whether Storm* is a boy or a girl.
I do wonder sometimes how I got to be so utterly mainstream. For as long as I can remember I've always embraced difference in others and I'm fascinated by anyone who plays by their own rules. It's why I chose that great Ralph Waldo Emerson quote as number seven and Oscar Wilde as number four. As a youth I always thought of myself as a bit of a reckless, poet-type, but of course it was all in my head. I have never been anything even remotely resembling alternative. Creative, yes. Alternative, not so much. In fact, when I said to LOML the other night 'let's throw it all in and live off the grid' we both just laughed and laughed.
But.
In my dreams I am always exactly that type of person. Artistic, creative, hippie, bohemian, earthed. Ah, who am I kidding? Is it even possible to call yourself a bohemian when you're working for the man and, really, it's not too bad? Is it possible to call yourself artistic when lately the most you've creatively stretched yourself was icing cupcakes for the kinder class? Is it possible to be alternative when you're addicted to your dryer and consider vintage shopping somewhat painful? If you decorate your home in what you think is an eclectic, me sort of style but everyone comments on how successfully you've merged 'French Provincial' and 'Hamptons'**? If you secretly think that gender or none, Storm is a really a rather awful name for a person?
Is it possible?
* Boy or girl, something tells me Storm is going to need s/he's own school someday...
** Seriously. How's my life?
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PS - My family will be wearing red tomorrow for Daniel's family. A red cardigan for me. Red socks for my husbie. A red shirt for little one. Red undies for my big one and a red ribbon slashed against a blue school uniform for my middle one. For all sorts of reasons, Daniel will always be remembered. http://www.danielmorcombe.com.au/
[Image flogged off Dottie Angel - for she is a true artistic spirit, living an individual life; red shirt image found here]