Cliques, believe it or not, start when still in diapers!  Children migrate to certain other children, and as adults the same thing happens. I am just not a clique person.

                                         Childhood Cliques

When children begin school of any kind, groups form around them. Some will include them and others will not. As cultures stick together, so do people, but sometimes not in a positive sense. I never made the clique connection myself. Perhaps it was due to the fact that I was the youngest child and years apart from my siblings. Learning to head in any direction I wanted to became my choice . So in that light, I had no one to follow. I was perfectly content to do my own thing most of the time. I now equate it to being my own boss!

Children can be very cruel. Many times childhood cliques becoming bullying pulpits. I know this firsthand because looking back I was bullied at different times. You were not allowed to join certain groups and those children reminded you of why. Society is made up of endless arrays of groups, residing together with like interests. So goes cliques. One person will usually be in charge, and everyone will follow like timid sheep. I decided to be the rebel I am a long time ago. No thank you, but I will guide my way!

                                              High School Break

Elementary and junior high school were not my favorite times. I knew when I got to high school, that I would be leaving many of the kids behind who were notorious for being the clique mongers and mean to me. The high school I attended had a new crowd. I looked forward to it. Don’t get me wrong. The cliques still existed, but not to the degree they did before in my other schools. The people were more receptive and I actually came out of my shell somewhat. Maybe it was due to the maturity level or just that the kids were nicer. Whichever reason it was, high school was a great experience for me and made me feel that I could be myself, whether alone or in a group. Whoever I wanted to be, I was not judged on how much money my parents had or how big my house was. I was just another person, attending school with a group of other students. This helped make me comfortable in my skin!

                                               Cliques and Adults

It’s amazing how you can see what a person was like when they were younger, just by how they behave as an adult. Being in the workplace for so many years has given me the chance to see all kinds of people, good and bad. Cliques are prevalent at all levels of employment, be it teachers in a lounge or nurses in a cafeteria. In my case, women in an office setting. I decided a long time ago to not worry about other people and how they like to lead and control people. I prefer to march to the beat of my own drum.

                                              A Non-Conformist Attitude

I am an introvert by nature. I’ve never wondered how I became this way, but I am more than comfortable in my own skin. Being led by others is not part of my forte. Controlling my actions means a lot to me, since many things in life are out of our control. I see people being led around like puppy dogs on a leash and wonder to myself, where is your individuality?  That has always been important to me. Some people see me as anti-social, but that is so far from the truth. I just prefer to eat my lunch at a certain time, or go for a walk. I have always been a non-conformist. It is not to be confused with being a loner. I have my group of friends. But I also have my time, which means more to me than gossiping with a group at lunchtime. Cliques have been here since the beginning of time in one form or another, and will continue to be. I will always respect people doing their own thing. Now all I ask is that you respect me to do mine!