On Choices and Trends

I love social media. I mean, name any social media and I am on it,from Facebook to twitter,from instagram to pinterest and many others. So during my time on the web this week, I read a blog on tumblr that a woman gave birth a couple of weeks ago and named her baby girl Hashtag. Yes the baby's name is #. The hashtag is mostly used on social media especially twitter to create a hyperlink. The hashtag has become so popular that other social media have picked it. And it appears that it has become popular enough for mothers to name their kids.

This story got me thinking about what really influences our choices. I have always believed that life is a matter of choice. Any thing we choose to do now usually has its effects in the future,be it positive or negative. And so I couldn't help but wonder, do we do things for the simple fact that they are popular or do we do things because our society or culture requires us to do so?  What really influences our choices?

I have so much respect for those people who have gone against cultural demands to do what they really want. Call me crazy,but I do have respect for those friends of mine who chose to have kids when still in their teens, those people who have chosen to get married in their early twenties,those women in their thirties and they are not married, those parents who have decided to adopt children and I could go on and on. My point is they have gone against what is culturally expected of them.

When we are born, society has our future planned for us. We go to school,we graduate,we get jobs,we get married,we get kids, dedicate our lives to our kids as they grow,and then die with the satisfaction that we left something behind,our kids. Those people who are not able to follow this already planned route for them often feel left out. People feel like getting married is the key to happiness,they are afraid of what the society will say when they don't have kids and thus they go ahead and have children and struggle to raise them. Pastors are now making alot of money for praying for miracle husbands for single ladies in their thirties, and for couples to have children.

I guess what I am trying to say is make your own choices and don't let the society dictate your choices and make you miserable. Be different. Be unique. Name your baby Hashtag,choose to be childless,be single,be an entrepreneur,live free.