A Coca-Cola New Year

Last night sitting around with friends...someone pointed out how cool it was that on the coke bottle it says Shana Tova. It is cool, it brings a familiar feeling back to you, it makes you feel like this is where you belong, that this is where you want to belong. Why? Because a major company's label recognises a holiday that is a part of you, it's in sync with your calendar too.
At the same time we discussed how nice it was to grow up in an environment where we asserted our beliefs as Jews like in a non-Jewish school where one girl was proud of her identity of being different and sticking up for it, instead of being brought up in a bubble where everyone was the same.
I recently had an encounter with someone who didn't want to hang out with me because I wasnt religious enough, I thought this was rather interesting because in Sydney I was always the religious one.
As I walk around the canyon and see all these girls on their year off to study here in seminary, they all look like a carbon copy of each other...I hope I look different.
So I start thinking about individuality, community, belonging and independant thinking, wondering how they all fit together, wondering where I am comfortable being.
I had a friend in Sydney who used to marvel at me..."Gila I just don't see where you belong?"...
Maybe that's because I belong here...that's what I'd like to think. Maybe I will drink diet sprite though instead of the main stream choice of coca-cola but it also has a Shana Tova label, so I think I will be ok.