It's Thursday and....

It's usually Throwback Thursday on Facebook... although that posting trend has diminished in the past year, along with poking (thank God, that was so annoying), and the video of April the Giraffe (did she ever have that baby or was it just some hideous Facebook hoax?).  Trends come and go, I myself like to keep up with what's going on, but I'm not usually a 'follower', I tend to march to the beat of a whole other band, forget just the drummer. On Facebook I am on a few different groups related to crafting designers I admire (like Heidi Swapp and Cori Spieker), and of course my own group for Altered Whimseys, but other than that, that's it. Many moons ago I was very active in online scrapbook site forums such as Two Peas and Scrap Jazz, both which disbanded shortly after the financial crash in 2009 that pretty much took out most of the local and online scrapbook businesses. Made some fabulous friends, and also had to deal with the cliques as well. I swear, I thought when I graduated from HS all that clique drama was over. Evidently not. No sour grapes, just stating a fact. As adults do we still do this? The answer is, yes. Everyone has a label... single, married, divorcee, widow... kids, no kids and whether we intend to or not, we shut those who don't fit into our label out. I'm even guilty of it, I will admit it. I'm married with no kids, and I tend to be friends with women whose children are already grown, or those without. I have a hard time connecting with 'moms', mainly because we have nothing in common. There's also groups of women out there who believe our 'womanhood' is determined by our ability to procreate, and if we don't have children we are lesser, we have failed in some way or another. I have a real hard time with those people. My ability to procreate is no one's business and should not be the basis of starting a friendship, or approval for that matter. I have quit being a people pleaser. It's stressful and sucks the life out you. Be you, not them. That has been my mantra for almost six months now. In high school and even junior high I tried so hard to be part of the A crowd that I forgot who I really was. Spent a major part of my life telling people what they wanted to hear and trying to be what they wanted instead of being me. Don't do that to yourself. I quit chasing people down to be friends with, if it was meant to be and if they are a true friend then it will happen. If not, oh well, their loss, not yours. Don't fret over it. I know who I am, I know who my true friends are, and for the first time in a very long time I am comfortable in my own skin. I love who I am. Love who you are, silence the critics and get on with it. Be you. Not them.