Go against the flow!

I just read a good friend's blog and she mentioned that people see her as "weird" because she is different. Her suburban is full of kids of many different colors. She has two biological daughters and four foster children. Because they are a single-income family they buy most of what they have from garage sales and thrift stores. They have even started homeschooling their two daughters. People where she lives thinks she is weird.

I can understand this. Freecycle is my favorite place to shop. If I can't find it there I check garage sales and thrift stores. The only time I buy something new is if I need it and can't find it used or if it is on sale. For larger things like appliances and furniture we buy new and good quality. This is the only thing we spend on because it is what we want to last a long time. I admire her devotion to children that need help. And you know I am totally in agreement with homeschooling. People have called me weird. People have asked me why we want to adopt. They wonder why we would want to have to take care of more children instead of spending all we have on our current children. "Kids are expensive" they say. No they aren't. They don't eat enough to affect the grocery bill a whole lot until they are teenagers and I have never had to buy Chloe clothes. We spend less on our four kids than some people spend on one. And my kids are perfectly happy.

There is a show on TV called "What Not To Wear". On this show they take a person in and tell them how badly they dress and how they should dress. Similarly, on decorating shows they don't care what the person wants but what the designers think will be best. What I want to know is who decides what style of clothing is in or out? And who decides how a home should be decorated? It's fine to not like something but to tell someone else they shouldn't like it?

How about we all be who we individually are and let the world go on spending all of their time and money trying to impress the people that look exactly like them? Think on that for a while. In the meantime...."friend who's blog I read" I admire you more than you will ever know. You may envy my organized clean house but I envy everything about you. So flaunt your individuality!