Recently on the CCU list an interesting thread developed. Unschooling, escpecially Christian Unschooling, encompasses all sorts of people - many of whom lead varied and sometimes contradictory lifestyles. Below you will find just what I mean....read on!

I am a fundamentalist Christian who attends a non-denominational church that preaches a Reformed/Calvinist doctrine and has Charismatic worship and ministry.  I am an eclectic schooler with unschooling tendencies, mostly vegetarian. I prefer to wear blue jeans and brightly tie-dyed t-shirts to church rather than the standard-issue ankle length denim jumper. I DON'T have any tattoos or piercings, having let my ear lobes close a long time ago, but I wear an ear-cuff and I am always barefoot unless required by health code (stores, malls, etc.) I have no IRL Christian friends who are unschoolers or eclectic homeschoolers, so they all think I am very strange. One person told me, "Susan, you are a firecracker!" I have yet to figure out if this is a good thing or not...

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[__]D Susan  
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Try telling someone you homeschool but don't use textbooks; are an elder in the Presbyterian church (PCUSA, the more liberal one) but consider yourself very conservative; are registered Republican but are really more of a Libertarian; prefer jeans or shorts for day to day wear but always wear a dress, hose, and heels to church; or that you have two college degrees and are a Registered Nurse but prefer to be a full-time mom and homemaker. I love to read about farming and homesteading but the only thing we raise on our forty acres are cats, dogs, and the occasional tomato plant. Despite my medical training, I more often rely on alternative and natural treatments. I love classical music and prefer the old hymns in church, but also enjoy listening to the Beatles, Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, and Genesis. I rarely watch television but have seen every episode of I Love Lucy and Keeping Up Appearances. I have learned to drink coffee, but much prefer a nice cup of Earl Grey tea. I love the stability of living in one place for the rest of my life, yet dream of experiencing life in some exotic city. I cherish my time alone, yet love being with friends, too. I don't like to shop but could spend a whole day poking around in old bookstores. Most people think I am rather serious yet I have been known to cause a fair amount of moniter cleaning among my CCU buddies.

Deanna
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I am beginning to think the one thing everyone on this list has in common is that we are a study in contrasts. I am a Christian who still listens to good ole rock and roll (and yes, we still have record albums). My husband is an electrician but we have a doorbell that hasn't worked for three years, and a couple of bulbs that have been burned out for almost that long.LOL. I am a successful business owner and "career" woman who wears suits and pantyhose most days but, by choice,spends more time at home than at my office. I am a pianist who hasn't played in years and a writer who very rarely writes. I give advice to everyone but rarely heed my own wisdom. I am extremely quiet and reserved but somehow, ended up heading an outreach at church with over three hundred participants that has now become an annual event, just finishing our fourth year. God has a way of placing me out of my comfort zone regularly. Lastly, (confession here) I am a mom of three children who go to public school,and yet find myself being more of a homeschool mindset and I have joined this unschoolers list. Who would've thought?

Lee
P.S. I forgot to say: I am a Canadian who HATES cold weather.

I think unschooling goes along with being unconventional, or maybe being unconventional goes with being an unschooler. I've always felt like I don't fit any of the molds out there, preferring to make my own mold. (okay, sometimes the mold is in my refrigerator, but it is still *mine*) I wear dresses most of the time, because I prefer them. But when it is chore time in the winter I wear men's insulated coveralls and snow boots. I am a Christian, but I don't "do" date nights. I also like Pink Floyd, which has raised more than one eyebrow, (non-pierced). I did pierce my ear cartilege, because I wanted to. I homeschool, but don't use textbooks. I know that is normal here, but outside of this wonderful group it causes gasps of disbelief. I watch, and let my children watch Braveheart, The Patriot, and James Bond, but we don't read Harry Potter or Goosebumps. I let my kids play Rainbow Six games, but not Tomb Raider. I grow a great deal of our food, love goat cheese, and strive for additive free foods, yet love Pepsi and Dr. Pepper, not to mention *coffee*. I enjoy dressing up on occasion, but usually wear grungy sweats/comfy shorts, and go barefoot. Hate TV, love old movies. Can claim that I have *never*, ever, seen even one episode of Survivor. And I'm proud of it!

I think we are all unique individuals, and have unique families, so to me it is natural that we would all have different likes, dislikes, "allowables" and "forbiddens". Personally, I would think it a boring world if we were all navy jumper wearing, clean shaven, time-scheduled, text book drones.

Dia

I'm enjoying this whole thread. We are a bit eccentric, aren't we? I'm more comfy in jeans, t-shirt, hiking boots (or no shoes at all during the summer), but find myself working full time in skirts and blazers ("That is so 80's,Mom" -- but always so in fashion, prefer a-line skirts and tailored jackets). Natural fabrics - my carpool talks about washing her (UGH and triple UGH) polyesters and I wouldn't own any. Can't stand sweats. I'm an artist who rarely paints and a sculptor who sculpts mystical things. I could be a hermit and I'd love every day of it, never would miss people, but I also am very outgoing, vivacious, and quite comfortable talking to strangers (I've met some of my dearest friends in strange places like public restrooms). My children are almost as eccentric and we're bent on training up the newest addition to be anything but "one of the crowd." I tell my kids when warlords conquer countries, they seek out and destroy the intellectuals, the artists, the readers and writers,--and our goal in life should be to be the enemy of complacency. I'm right-wing and staunch Republican but my best buds are liberal left-wing Unitarian-types. And I don't back down. :-)

This list is the place I come when the world around me rejects my differences. Here, of all places, I feel like I fit in. Oh yes - the ONLY time I've worn a blue denim jumper was when I was pregnant, and only then because it was the only thing that would fit over my huge belly. Tent dress. Music? R&B, and if you haven't made your children listen to "Tommy" (the Who) or Jethro Tull, they ain't had an education in fine music... Rambling, I could go on, but everyone has decided NOW to be hungry, just when I get time to the computer... I've never left my liberal roots far behind, but I belong heart and soul to Jesus.

Jaci

OK, here goes....I was raised to be spiritually open to everything and to envision a god of my own creation, lived in a commune, followed a guru, and Jesus is my greatest love & the one who my entire life revolves, there is no other. I planned a beautiful nursery and our babies all sleep in our bed, I'm very infatuated with midwifery and homebirths, but have had all my babies in the hospital & had good experiences, I'm from a broken home & my marriage has always been one of the biggest joys of my life, I was an only child and want a house full of children, I am a very analytical & thoughtful, but am known more for my sense of humour. I'm a one friend for life person that has ended up with many new friendships that are as precious & special as the ones I've had for many years & I've lost touch with people I thought I never would & I've recovered & grown. I prefer small groups & face to face conversation & a public e-mail list is where I share in much of my deep meaningful & fun conversation. I am so drawn to the natural life, log cabin in the woods, working the land & canning fruit with the neighbours lifestyle, I live in the city with a large screen TV, cable & high speed internet, have never canned & really enjoy the convenience of being close to a mall. I love the image of a mother carrying her children in a long flowing dresses, but carry them on my hip in jeans or other casual comfys & don't enjoy dressing up...I could actually go on a lot longer, I'm a paradox!:0)

Bonnie

Love this! Ok here goes...I'm a Christian but I have a pierced eyebrow, we all color our hair, I DO wear combat boots to church (actually Doc Martins but that's what they look like)...also wear army pants and shorts to church...and dance...at church...and we listen to rowdy music like P.O.D. and love music festivals like CORNERSTONE! My husband works in a school but we homeschool our kids... not following a scope and sequence or any set curriculum...we use whatever works and our kids only do stuff that resembles school for about an hour a day. My husband also works in a hospital but we despise drugs and the "sick care" system preferring alternatives like nutrition through Mannatech and other products. Other than doing hair part time I'm a full time mom and housekeeper but I don't consider myself to be maternal nor domestic. In fact I'm scared of kids and yet my house is full of pubescent boys, I lead the children/youth at church and I lead classes for the homeschoolers at Friday Afternoon Activities. My entire life is a conflict of interests and the longer I walk with God, the weirder it gets and the more I find myself doing things I've never wanted to do...

Michele

How about this... I would LOVE to wear historical costumes everywhere!!! Full length Victorian gowns!! Around the house!! : ) Don't have a TV, but listen to NPR. Wear a bandana headcovering, but run major marketing campaigns... (okay, well *major* to me!) Design websites... but milk a goat. Let God give me a gazillion babies... but diaper them with plastic throwaways and I *DON'T* recycle, thank you. Would wear combat boots to church if I could get some wide ankle ones... Oh!!! And I've been to jail 13 times. That is the kicker. My boys LOVE to hear *those* stories! LOL

Heather
who is just weird enough to keep searching for that totally kindred spirit....

I don't "do" coffee,but crave cappuccino, not "into" movies, but stay up all night reading, love babies rather than animals (they small better, kiss better). I have always dreamed of a house in the woods beside a stream and no close neighbors. Reality has me living on a highway with a home business that brings the public to our doorstep 8 months out of the year. I "grow" my customers gardens, have no energy left to grow my own! I give talks on the care of flowers, but would rather speak on "growing" kids. I love the old hymns and classical music and feel feminine in dresses. I used to draw and write poetry. Sewing, antiquing, gardening and home decorating are pleasures. I love fabric and quilts and have one in a frame I have been working on for 8 years.... I took every Home Ec class in public school to train me for my future career. I learned the most after I graduated!

Sara A.