I do not fit in

I wonder if anyone in their younger years feels like they fit in.

I certainly didn’t feel like I was part of the tribe or in-group.

This feeling of being an outsider drives us to find places to belong. If our self-identity is fragile, we become easy prey to be seduced into exploitative and coercive tribes.  

Conspiracy theorists thrive from attracting those who long for belonging to a tribe.

As do predators of all kinds. 

We must teach our children discernment from a young age. We might also speak to them of their sense of being an outsider, of being an alien to themselves. That this is indeed a common experience as we grow up. 

Lost people attract lost people. Those with ill intent, while still lost, build a parasitic relationship with their prey.

I have been prey to this kind. I know its contours well. Trusting our intuition as we navigate the shark-infested waters of identity is crucial.

Photo taken November 6th 2022