Conformity

The little boy went first day of school
He got some crayons and started to draw.
He put colors all over the paper
'cause colors was what he saw.
And the teacher said, "What you doin' young man?"
"I'm paintin' flowers," he said
"Well, it's not the time for art young man,
And anyway flowers are green and red.
There's a time for every thing young man
And a way it should be done
You've got to show concern for everyone else
For you're not the only one."

And she said...
"Flowers are red young man.
Green leaves are green.
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than they way they always have been seen."

But the little boy said...
"There are so many colors in the rainbow,
So many colors in the morning sun,
So many colors in the flowers

and I see every one."

Well the teacher said,  "You're sassy!
There's ways that things should be,
And you'll paint flowers the way they are
So repeat after me."

And she said...
"Flowers are red young man.
Green leaves are green.
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than they way they always have been seen."

The teacher put him in a corner
She said, "It's for your own good.
And you won't come out 'til you get it right
And are responding like you should."
Well finally he got lonely
Frightened thoughts filled his head
And he went up to the teacher
And this is what he said., and he said,

"Flowers are red, green leaves are green.
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen."

Well, time went by like it always does
And they moved to another town.
And the little boy went to another school
And this is what he found
The teacher there was smilin'
She said, "Painting should be fun!
And there are so many colors in a flowers,
And we'll use every one."

But the little boy painted flowers
In neat rows of green and red
And when the teacher asked him why
This is what he said, and he said,

"Flowers are red, green leaves are green.
There's no need to see flowers any other way
Than the way they always have been seen."

But there still must be a way to have our children say . . .

There are so many colors in the rainbow
So many colors in the morning sun
So many colors in the flowers

and I see every one.

I first heard this song when I was a teenager. It's a children's song, but it is something that everyone should hear. It speaks to me about conforming to society and their veiws rather than being yourself and having your own ideas. I was fortunate to go to a high school where diversity and individuality were celebrated and encouraged. However those sentiments weren't always shared in other circles of my life. Its ups and downs notwithstanding, high school was an incredible experience for me. I learned so much about who I am, though it has be an exercise over the years to apply those things. One of the things I love most about getting older is the less and less I care about what other people think. It is such a wonderful feeling.