h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

But is it always good to go with the herd? Tell us what you think.

No, never follow the herd. Stirke out on your own and do your own thing. It makes life much more interesting. Course it is hell on earth when you are at school and suffer bullying and all kinds of crud just because you are different, but it rocks when you get to adulthood!

Are you a member of a club? What's it called? What's it like? Can we join?

Okay, i am a member of choir - you need to be able to pass an audition, but we need more tenors and basses so please, come along! I am also a Roman Catholic. This is the biggest club in the world, let me tell you. Go anywhere in the world, find a Catholic Church and bingo, you have a community to fit into straight away. They are sticklers for believing in certain things, but if you do, and you are happy to say you do, all are welcome! And you need to promise to go to Church every Sunday and on days they tell you to, and to go to confession at some point. And there are A LOT of rules you have to live by too. Come to think of it, sometimes that particular club is not nice to be in!!

There is one club that i am not a member of, and it really makes me smart sometimes, and that is parenthood. I would love to have children. Unfortunately I can't. Adoption nor IVF are options for me in my particular situation, so hubby and I remain childless. What annoys me is how the rest of society seem to think we are social pariahs for not having children. It is not something I particularly want to be a part of, and making me feel like some kind of leper because I don't have kids doesn't help matters!! (sorry... felt the need to whine a bit)

Is better to follow the example, quoted above, of the wonderful Mr Marx (Groucho not Karl, who wasn't known for his hilarious after-dinner bon mots) and follow your own path?

I personally think so, but then it is all I have ever done, so I guess it is all i know.

Is setting yourself apart from the crowd the key to success and betterment?

I have done pretty well. I think it is the key to being happy and content with myself. That is the important thing.

Or is it possible to belong to a group without sacrificing your individuality? To have your cake and jolly well eat it.

I am not sure it is. Take singing for example. When singing solo, i am Crickett, with a high strong soprano voice. When singing in a choir, I am just another soprano.

Great post, Cricket. You mention some very interesting points.

What is and isn't accepted as 'normal' in society can depend a lot on the current fashions and trends of where you are. For example, people with kids who live in big cities can often feel like they're not welcome. In other places they're embraced.

On the other hand, it can feel comforting to be part of a group - and a choir is a brilliant example. They often say there is safety in numbers, together we're stronger, etc. Does belonging to a choir give you access to places you otherwise wouldn't have as a solo performer? And the extra confidence you wouldn't have on your own?

Sorry, I meant Crickett.

I guess it does. In a choir, I have sung in the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Royal Concert Hall in Nottingham. I would never be able to reach these places as a solo singer. I'm okay, but I am not THAT good!!