Monastecism and me

I've often wondered what it would be like to live in a monastery. I'm unsure why. The following is a conversation I had a week ago...

(Me) "To become a monk would be the ultimate form of non-conformity. You would be rejecting everything that society has to offer....as well as your own basic wants."

(Friend) "But wouldn't you still be conforming -- only to a different mold?"

(Me) "Sure. We always conform to something. But monasticism is a more personal form of religion. There's no structured religion between you and God. You meditate and work in the garden and fast and pray. There's something that draws me to that."

(Friend #2) "What's so great about non-conformity?"

I thought about that for a second, then conceded, "Nothing. I guess my desire not to conform is really a desire to be unique."

[end conversation]


So I guess my non-conformity is all a sham.

I think there's a separate issue here, still. I have deep-seeded feeling that religion, at its core, should be as simple as a monk in a monastery. I'm not rejecting organized religion...I'm just saying that if religion is only a congregation and a chapel to us, then what good is it? Religious morality stems from that relationship between you and God...which is why you go to church.

There's more though: I'm still drawn to escapism. Hitchhiking my way across the country is - in my mind - the ultimate adventure. I hope I'm not the only one who sometimes thinks about what it would be like to cut ties and run. That's what monasticism is.