A Sheep Epiphany

On fifth Sundays, we have a journaling class in our ward.  We discuss ways to preserve our history.  Today, our teacher challenged us to write about an experience that changed us.  That made me think about my sheep epiphany.

One lunch hour when I was in about seventh grade, a group of friends and I had eaten lunch and were going to the high school (yes, we were at a high school, 7th – 12th grades) to watch boys play basketball and to sit and talk.  As we walked into the gym that day, the alleged alpha female of the group said, “Hey, let’s sit down.”  So I walked ahead and sat down in a perfectly great spot.  Everyone else sat down with me, except the alpha female. 

The alpha female decided she did not like that spot and said, “Let’s move.”  Everyone (but me) got up and followed the alpha female to a spot about ten feet and maybe two bleachers away from where I was sitting.

Then after sitting there about one minute, the alpha female decided she wanted to sit on the other side of the gym.  Everyone (but me) got up and followed her. 

As they were crossing the gym trying not to get in the way of the basketball games, they walked single file to the other side of the gym with the alpha female in the lead. 

I thought, “They are acting just like SHEEP! They’re sheep!” Right then, I vowed to myself, “I will never be a sheep.”

After that epiphany, I made it a point to never be a sheep.  Some examples of this come to mind.  I would not dislike someone just because the group disliked someone.  When the girls would plan on wearing a similar item, I purposefully did not want to wear that.  If everyone wanted to read a particular book, I purposefully did not want to read it.  I did not do anything just because “everyone was doing it.” I never trailed anyone around ever again. 

After I graduated, a high school friend described how she had viewed me when we were in high school (7th – 12th) together, “You were a loner who fit in everywhere.”  What a great compliment to a non-sheep!