A Perfect “Retro” Day and the Future of Creativity
An invitation to break things.
I hate being told what to do.
I always have. Call it my rebellious streak.
When I was a teenager, life wasn’t perfect, but it felt real. My parents ensured I had a good life, and, for the most part, I was happy. But I still struggled with my rebellious nature. A little voice in my head, demanding that I always challenge authority and the status quo.
School, in particular, brought out that defiance. Whatever I was told, I would do the opposite. At least, I tried to.
So, when we were given the list of books for my high school English class in 1986, my inner rebel reared its ugly head.
I should have loved the list — five dystopian novels guaranteed to rattle authority:
- 1984 by George Orwell
- Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
- The Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
These aren’t just stories; they are acts of defiance wrapped in pages. Each book explores rebellion and resistance under the worst of circumstances — themes that should have resonated with me deeply.
