That edge that I can fit through, it is like the tip of an iceberg in a round about way in this society's world.
Being a TCK, this analogy is best way I can describe how I fit into my passport culture...or rather, how only a teeny tiny part of me fits.
You know that other analogy about how life is compared to a play and we're all actors playing different roles at different times in our lives? I would like to take the same concept and modify it using an analogy of shoes.
There are some shoes that are appropriate for certain situations and not for others. Or the shoes that are super cute, but incredibly uncomfortable.
I equate these shoes to the roles we play in life. It's hard to find a pair that fits just right, but when we do find those magical shoes we don't ever want to take them off.
Flip flops are my magical shoes. I would wear them every day if I could. They do not create blisters on my heels. They can easily be put on or taken off. I feel free to be me. However, I can't wear flip flops in certain social settings. I'm forced to put on heels or other uncomfortable shoes to fit that standard.
What happens in life when we are forced to wear uncomfortable shoes that don't fit all of the time? Physical pain. I was walking in a pair of shoes the other day and I was in such pain that it caused me to change the way I walked. How often has this happened in our lives? We've been forced to be a certain way and succumb to what society expects us to be.
There are times that we are free to wear the shoes that identify us for who we are. We are comfortable and we will wear those shoes as long as we possibly can. But shoes can and will get worn out - there are times in our lives that we have to move on. We'll have to buy new shoes and either deal with the uncomfortableness until the pain is unbearable or keep searching for a new pair of shoes to break in.
I use to have a pair of shoes - a time in my life - when I was happy, carefree, and just me. My surroundings changed, though. My friends changed. My life changed drastically and my favorite pair of "shoes" were gone. All the "shoes" and roles I've been trying to fit into lately are a misfit. They are painful or just not appropriate for the occasion. I'm trying to find a new pair that will fit where I'm at right now. I've been walking around way too long in a pair that is incredibly uncomfortable. I'm tired of trying to conform to who and what society wants me to be. I'm tired of trying to wear shoes that change the way I walk, change the way I act. I want another pair of magical flip flops for this time of my life! What kind of shoes have you been walking around in? What are your magic shoes?
