Recently I attended a performance of one of Shakespeare's plays, one of the comedies, the name of which I don't remember. As the first act came to an end, I allowed myself to be honest that I was not enjoying myself at all, that in fact I never enjoy myself watching Shakespeare. I admitted to myself that most of the time, I don't understand what is actually being said, and that while I can follow the story line well enough, I'm lost a lot of the time. And not being able to decipher the meaning and motivation of most of what's spoken makes me feel anxious and unsettled, because there is always some trick or deceit or double-talk happening in a Shakespeare story, and I'm never entirely sure why.  It's just plain uncomfortable!

     But for my entire life, from adolescence on, I have thought there was something wrong with me for not liking, or "getting," Shakespeare. I thought smart people are SUPPOSED to like and appreciate Shakespeare, and I'm smart, so..... I thought people who love words and the language arts are SUPPOSED to like Shakespeare, and I love words and language arts, so..... I had so much pressure on myself to like something I thought I was supposed to like, that I literally buried the reality that I don't like it at all! All these years of suffering through performances because I felt dumb and self-conscious in admitting that I find his plays confusing and far-fetched! 

     So it felt like a defining moment for me to turn to my friends and say, "I don't like this! I don't like Shakespeare!" in an exaggerated and funny way that made everyone laugh and eased the tiny bit of remaining self-consciousness for me!  And it made me realize how very powerful is the force of wanting to fit in, to be accepted, to follow the unspoken rules of what we "should" like, not like, feel, want, think.  No one ever told me I "should" like Shakespeare, but somehow I believed that and forced myself to sit through many, many performances instead of paying attention to myself years ago and having the clarity and self-confidence to say "No thanks!" 

     I think we all have "I don't like Shakespeare!" declarations inside of us ... realizations about our own preferences and desires that perhaps we have ignored or hidden out of fear that we might be judged.  What is your declaration going to be!?