Green (The Color of Compliance)

Yesterday's Daily Inspiration was about walking around your yard and really seeing what you looked at. I was amazed at just how many different textures, tones and shades of green I found! The beautiful, rich green of new grass twinkling in the sunlight was magnificant, and the rough, gray-green of the back fence was a stark contrast to the cool, smooth blue-green of my plastic pots.

There was also my large barrel of ivy next to the driveway, greening ever so beautifully after laying dormant all winter . . .

And the long, narrow leaves of the Dianthus beginning to come back to life in preparation for its abundant hot pink, red and white varigated blossoms all summer long

Looking at all these different green items made me think of St. Patrick's Day and it brought back memories of being in elementary school. I remember the teacher standing in front of the class reminding everyone to "wear something green tomorrow for St. Patrick's Day". I also remember thinking that I may be a lot of things but Irish isn't one of them!

How many more times would we all be indoctrinated into compliance throughout our lives? Wearing green for St. Patrick's Day seems harmless enough, but it was just one more instance where "the hive" mentality was shoved down our throats. God forbid we should come to school wearing blue or red and draw attention to ourselves by being "different". Remember what happened to anyone who wasn't wearing green on St. Patrick's Day?  Everyone looked accusingly at the guilty parties, but not so much because they weren't wearing green, but more because they did not comply with the actions of the hive.  Is it any wonder that there is so little tolerance towards people who think differently or look differently or speak differently than the hive dictates?  Indoctrination into compliance has been beat into our psyche for all our lives.

In what other ways have you been indoctrinated into compliance?  What other rituals or activities do you mindlessly take part in because that's what "you're supposed to do"?   Just something to think about.....