I grew up with a father who never allowed me to look down on anyone because they were different. As a child, whenever I criticized someone for being "weird," or "a freak" my dad would say, "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears the beat of a different drummer. Let him march to the beat he hears, however measured or far away." Honestly, when I was a kid I thought my dad was just crazy. I was very embarrassed when he would utter this quote in front of my friends. Now, it all makes sense to me.
Everybody "does life" their own way. No two people look at the world and everything in it the same. No one should ever feel bad for being themselves, no one should ever feel guilty for who they are. Obviously there are some restrictions, rules of society, and biblical guidelines (for christians) that must be recognized. However, generally speaking, people should be free to live their way.
I am one of those people who can sit quietly in a room of strangers and just observe them, for hours. I do not feel awkward being in a group setting and being completely silent, just listening to those around me. Unfortunately sitting there silently often makes other people feel awkward, so I am forced to be social. It's not like I'm creepy, I just think people are very interesting. I like to hear what other people have to say, much more than I'd like to hear myself speak.
I guess you could say that I enjoy discovering which drummer's beat other people are hearing. Personally, I really don't know which drummer creates the beat I hear. All I know is that I enjoy finding people who's drummer beats similarly to mine. All of that to say, I "doe life" my way, and I don't care if other people do things differently.
