monkey see monkey do

today was a beautiful afternoon and evening...a perfect day to finally find the lap pool i need to visit...so i called up a friend, katie, and she was going to go swimming with her daughter anyways...so it just worked out! we arrived at a place called Puyo Pools..which is a popular place among the Ecuadorians and the Americans...there is a lot to do there...basketball, volleyball, and tennis courts...a wave pool, large pool slides, high dives, and a lap pool. i was going to do some laps...so katie joined me. when we got in the lap pool, there was only one other guy practicing swimming.

after about 5 minutes we had a small crowd watching us swim...and then, the next thing you know...about 15 people are in the lap pool trying to swim! which might be ok...except if you are trying to swim vertically...and they are swimming horizontally! it was very interesting...im not sure if everyone got in because since we are americans...they should do what we do...or what. it was interesting because katie started swimming backstroke...and i said something like it would be funny if other people started doing it...and they did!

im not sure what to think about this...katie made the point that its fine if they enjoy swimming, but dont just do it because we are.

as i was walking back from school tonight, trying to get everything ready for tomorow, i was thinking about the situation more...and trying to think about how that might not have been an accident situation that occured in my life...and i think God pointed out to me how i, as well as people in general, see famous/stylish/skinny/beautiful people and think that if we look and do as they do...we will be cool and lead soooo much better lives. but as i experienced today...seeing people copy (or try) you...you look at them and think that they are really foolish and look silly. like katie said, if they want to do it and enjoy it--fine...but if it is just for the sake to look like the americans...then maybe they shouldnt do it. maybe we shouldnt copy people just to think we look cool...because in most cases we probably just end up looking stupid.

this situation causes me even more to just be myself and not to care what others think about it...id rather look stupid being myself than copying someone just to think i will be cool or more people will like me....we spend so much of our lives trying to figure out who we really are as individuals...and yet, most of that time--we let others looks and magazine articles shape who we "think" we are...when that isnt who we are at all.

be your beautiful/handsome :) self