At the time it was an easy excuse to drop out of society and the accepted norm of the wasp(white Anglo Saxon) culture, usually with the help of drugs but now it has developed into a much broader meaning for a persons conflicted feelings about themselves and where they fit on the globe and drugs may or may not play a part.
Remember Robert DeNiro, the mobster in "Analyze This" with Billy Crystal as his shrink? He had conflicted feelings about who he was as a mob boss and the need to make choices different from what he was born into.
Finding yourself means finding the true essence of spirit trapped inside flesh. It's ironic that people that look beautiful on the outside are often times the most stunted spirits because they have relied so much on outward appearances and can masquerade as so much more than they really are. Likewise the reverse is true. Did you see the movie "Shallow Hal" with Gwyneth Paltrow as the fat girl? She had developed beauty from the inside.
Where are you and where are you going? Searching your soul (the deepest part of you) for true feelings is what feeds the spirit and forms your character. Being able to answer hard questions about the choices you have made strengthens the mind and spirit connection. The more you do that the stronger you become.
Taking inventory of your failures and successes keeps your spirit on the right path to maturity and wisdom. Every experience teaches you how to dance with grace and confidence. If you went looking for yourself, visualize that.
To your own self be true.
Mum
