My Rainbow Box

Do you ever feel "boxed in"? You know, when people see something about you, a trait, a talent, an ability...something. And forever you get identified as that "box"...Well, I kind of feel that way too, sometimes.

This is my amusing metaphor-ish description:

I have a box. This box has 6 sides to color (4 sides, top & bottom) and all 6 sides make up who I am..and in fact, make up my destiny. But you have to start somewhere and I started with the most obvious side. I knew I wanted it to be pink, it was the side closest to me (thereby making it the easiest side to color) and it's a fun side...So I paint it pink. And I like the pink side...It IS in fact part of me.....

Then I go on painting, lots of colors...indigo, red, purple, periwinkle, green...all part of my box. All part of me. But the people around me refuse to see the other colors. They say things like "You make such a good pink box" and "Right now, we only need pink boxes" and they don't really understand that, while the pink side was the first side to be painted....it wasn't the only side and probably wasn't even the most important side...most important color....or most important part of me. So what do you do...Do you say "Someday, they will appreciate all my other colors...they won't always see me as a pink box"? Or, do you find new people. New areas of influence. Maybe people who won't even know that you painted the pink side first....Maybe they like my indigo, or periwinkle sides better.....

I just don't think my destiny is to be a pink box forever.....
Do you ever feel that way?

Christmas at Mom and Steven's- 2009