So, you look at people sometimes and think that they are exactly like everyone else. They all exhibit the same mannerisms and behavior. You watch them and think that everyone is alike in their pursuit of "fitting in". People talk louder when they are in crowds, laugh more boisterously, and become carbon copies of each other because they are all alike in their desire to be liked. Independence and uniqueness becomes an allusion because even those who attempt to be different, become lumped in with others who attempt to be different. Like those who dress goth, or become hardcore punk, complete with the mohawks and the piercings, and the numerous patches, they all look like the person beside them who is also attempting to broadcast their departure away from the norm, and status quo, thus establishing their own "underground" status quo by doing so. They are only molding themselves to underground conceptions of "cool", stripping them of their own uniqueness and making them another face in the crowd. Whether it is a yuppie Club Monaco crowd, or a avant-garde artsy fartsy one, or even a heavy duty old-school punk Casualties-loving one, each different group perpetuates their own stereotypes since most of their members look identical and strive to copy the same wardrobe, mannerisms, and ways of behaving in public. However, if uniqueness is an allusion, then I too, am a carbon copy of others around me and am no better than those I am writing about. So therein lies the second point of my post; perhaps uniqueness is not an allusion but lies with those who can see past the "social identity" and carbon copy surface, and see the uniqueness that lies not necessarily in one's personality and appearance, but in the heart and soul. Once the social identity is taken away, that is when the person becomes unique. The trick is being able to see the uniqueness under the facade of "personal identity". Our identities are not unique, but our hearts and souls are. And it's rare to be able to find that heart and soul lying under someone's external self, but it happens occasionally through a lifetime. So to those of you who are reading my blog, thank you for being able to see my uniqueness; I hope I re-pay the favour each and every day.