My first wife and I named our first child (now nearly 14) Phoebe Frances, after a white rose we came across at the botanical gardens in Hobart. The rose is called Frances Phoebe. Coincidentally my wife's middle name was Frances, named after her grandmother. We congratulated ourselves on being original, though of course both names were old fashioned heirlooms. Now we come across Phoebe's everywhere. Don't forget too though that we don't notice particular cars till we have one, or want one etc etc.
I'm a nonconformist, I think you'll all agree, but predictable for all that :-)

Dear Foxy and Squeers,

Names are probably a very good place to start if we are looking at conformity. My son's name is Lachlan, which I think you'll agree is reasonably common nowadays - but it was just unusual enough for me back then. There are Lachlan's all over the place now - seems the name just became fashionable at that particular juncture.

I've been doing a little genealogical delving into my ancestors who are Scottish. The system that the Scottish employed to name their children is pretty straight forward and has been a great help in finding people in my family. This is how it goes:

1st son named after father's father.
2nd son named after mother's father.
3rd son named after father.
1st daughter named after mother's mother.
2nd daughter named after father's mother.
3rd daughter named after mother.

My family followed this system fairly strictly. Once, when I almost took a wrong turn, I was alerted by the fact that the names in the following generation didn't reflect the ones in the former generation - I then looked a bit further and found the people I was looking for.

So it's an example of naming conformity within a lineage - as opposed to conforming with the fashion of the day.

I went through a stage in my youth when I wore all black; black leather jacket, black jeans, black t-shirt or layers of tattered black dresses and skirts. I recall walking to a gig with similarly attired friends one night and strolling towards us was a 'formation' of cops, and I nodded to a friend, "they're in their uniforms and we're in ours."

My friend's reaction was one of surprise, I guess he actually believed he was being nonconformist.

We all form tribes of sorts, even if it is a tribe to deliberately get up the noses of the larger tribes.

Dear Poirot,

My husband was named after his father (he's
an only child). He was given a middle
name, which he prefers and has used since
his student days.

I chose my first born's name - Darius -
for its meaning.
Which I thought would be an apt name for a boy.
And my husband did the same with our second son.
However as I said, my second son preferred a
much more common name. He chose Mark.

Dear Severin,

I went through a stage with my hair - hating
my natural colour and long length that my mother
thought was so attractive. So, being a
non-conformist (or so I thought) I went from a
waist-length mane to shoulder-
length curls, to a hideous afro. And my hair
colours varied. I've been a
brunette, blonde, and even multi-coloured.
(part of my afro at one stage). Now, I'm back to my
natural red - and long hair.
By the way - I've kept my leather outfits (jacket,
pants, slit skirt). Would I wear them today?
Probably not, as my taste has definitely changed.

Dear Foxy

My hair colour has varied from its natural blond (which works with black) to fire-engine red, nowadays I am back to my natural blond and instead of the spiky cut have grown it long.

But I still have my black motorcycle jacket - I will never part from that. I have actually used it in some film work where I had to dress as punk 80's chick.

I guess you can take the woman out of the tribe, but the tribe remains very much with the woman. My complete disrespect for authority is still a part of my character and now I'm old enough (have the gravitas) to get away with it.

Expect to become increasingly feisty into old age.

Foxy:
<The mysticism of Buddhism offers the
believer salvation at a spiritual level, where
earthly cares become unimportant. Christian theodicy
holds out the hope of eternal salvation
in heaven in recompense for ordeals on earth.>

Dear Foxy,
thanks for your usual thoughtful considerations, and apologies if my reposts sometimes seem brutal--I can be heavy-handed with the rhetoric but I respect your intelligence.

Because I see the world of Man as decadent and in a terminal downward spiral, materially and ethically, the consolations of philosophy and religion--abstractions, rationales, diversions--are effectively part of the problem.
Where philosophy and religion in a state of material equilibrium might be a good thing (since Man is certainly prone to decadence by nature, and not just economically), ideally providing balance and guidance, they exacerbate our current predicament by allowing us to neglect and even despise the corporeal conditions of life. Philosophy has to be balanced by materialism; we have to attend to our distaff as well as our spiritual needs.
Religion and philosophy have to come down to Earth and get political.