Vote for the opposite people of the ones my father told me to vote for? Go to my high school principal with a petition to not have funerals be unexcused absences? Make out w/ somebody else's boyfriend?

Karen, 21
Marshelltown/Ames, IA USA

In college, like all good activist students, I worked with a group of cohorts to build an alternative college within our conservative campus and staged all sorts of protests against all sorts of injustices from the major to the riduculous.  At my first real job after college, I organized a group of underpaid admin types to demand more money and greater respect for what we did. We got the cash but no change in attitude.  Perhaps the hardest act of rebellion (or disagreement with the status quo) was taht I made a decision, based on philosophical disagreements, to no longer be a practicing Catholic when I was 19.  This caused a good deal of tension (an a bit of loss) for me and more than a teaspoon of disappointment in my parents. 

Felicia, 34
Lowell, MA   USA

Hmm... all the cliched teenage stuff of course. That and got a piercing and a tattoo when I knew my mother would pitch a fit about them. Oh and disappeared for four days a couple of summers ago with my then boyfriend... we ended up somewhere in the corn in Iowa. Ahh memories.

Maggie, 20
Sandwich, IL   USA

Refuse to major in education.

Jill, 59
Saylorsburg, PA  USA

Shortly after my English class had finished reading "Animal Farm" last year, we all got these ideas in our heads that we should stage a rebellion in the school in some way. The staff in the canteen had been treating us particularly poorly, so we got the whole school to refuse to buy anything from there for a week so that they'd reduce their prices or treat us better.  It didn't work though, because a lot of people ignored it and some of the teachers heard what we were doing and we got punished quite unfairly. But it certainly isn't our last attempt. Oh, no. We'll be back...

Shanna, 15
Cardiff  ENGLAND

I think the most rebellious thing I ever done would have to be wearing good girl type clothes out to a party when I was in high school but changed clothes at a gas station on the way there. I have done other things as well, but they would be considered illegal and I don't want to corrupt any of the youth in the world.

Stephanie, 24
TX   USA

I wasn't rebellious at all as a child and teen-ager. My brothers and sisters rebelled enough for several families. I saved it all up for when I became an adult.   My husband and I quit our jobs, gave away most of our stuff, moved to rural, southwest Georgia and volunteered full-time with Habitat for Humanity International. My mother didn't speak to me for about a week after we made the decision. My father was mighty pissed. I'm grateful to my sisters who managed to convince my parents that the world wouldn't end. Although I think their reasoning with my parents went along the lines of "You know how wacky Laura is..."

Laura, 35
Lowell, MA    USA

Shaved my legs, put on a bra stuffed with socks and dress up as a pretty woman. Had longish hair back then, so it worked really well. I met someone new who didn't realize I was a guy until I admitted it. I think he was horrified because he had been admiring my nice long legs, which my then-girlfriend said were better than hers.

Jesse, 24
Bowie, MD   USA

Too many too personal but one of my favorites was on my first day at my 2nd  highschool (out of 6, this particular school is a pile of trailers in Derry, NH) the teacher threw a kid out for talking and then asked "Does anybody else want to leave?" I said "Yeah I do. This class sucks, hick" and walked out. The funny part about it was so many kids came up to me later to verify  what the last word was. Guess they didn't hear the comma.

Alias Irrelevante

I ate all the candy I was supposed to sell, but we didn't have anything else to eat.
I pretended I couldn't speak English and walked around hotels asking for directions.
I love to open doors to see what's behind them.
I like going into buildings I am not supposed to be in.
In New York, I went to the top of a huge building and saw a sign that said Marcia ... (I forget her last name). So I went to the receptionist and asked to speak to Marcy. They were all nervous and fluttered about because they thought I knew Marcia. HA HA HA
I like to wear orange on St. Patrick's Day like all Scots do!
I used to sign my twins name when I was late for school so I wouldn't get detention, until he got detention..UH OH

Jami, 27
Lowell, MA   USA

A few friends of mine had a reunion at a football game at Purdue University a few years after we graduated. We were at a very crowded bar and a bouncer kicked out a friend of mine for absolutely no reason at all (actually, the friend was my old high school boyfriend - the sweetest, most gentle guy ever) A waitress told the bouncer that he wouldn't move out of the way when she was walking by with a tray so the bouncer kicked him out (which was complete bullshit). I was completely sober and drinking only water (because I had a hangover from the night before). I talked to the bouncer and told him he was wrong...the waitress must have pointed out the wrong guy. The bouncer said something like "Why don't you just get the fuck out of here too". My heart started racing. I felt complete rage. I calmly walked back to my table, got my coat, and walked back to the bouncer. I grabbed him by the collar his shirt and calmly and firmly said "Don't you EVER talk to me like that again." I let go of his shirt and smacked him across the face. Not a girl smack either! I got the whole side of his head with my whole hand. I stomped outside to where my ex-boyfriend was standing on the sidewalk. Of course the bouncer was pissed and wanted to start a fight with my ex. My ex started the "Ok, let's discuss this like adults" speech, but I knew the bouncer wasn't going to go for type of negotiation!! So I kicked the bouncer VERY HARD in the balls and took off running! My ex followed me and we got away. He said that in the 10 years that he had known me, he had never seen me like that  before! I was so pissed! I couldn't believe that some punk college kid bouncer was treating me like that! I just snapped! There was no stopping me. I have never felt that kind of rage since then.

Susan, 31
Chicago, IL   USA

Wrote a protest letter to the local paper when I was in high school,  protesting that our drama club should indeed be allowed to do a production of HAIR. (We finally did. A highly edited version of it, though.)

Kim, 30
New York, NY    USA

Me and my friend threw pennies off the top floor of the mall on to some motorcycle display.... i have no idea why, it was a long time ago.

Dianne, 16
Oshawa, Ontario   CANADA

Defied my own convictions about a year ago.

Amy, 23
New Orleans, LA  USA

Going to D.C. to protest the draft registration in 1982. . .I totally wimped out, had a mini-breakdown and had to bail early, taking a Greyhound bus back to Mommy's. . (I'm still ashamed. . .)

mothmc, 36
Los Angeles, CA  USA

My mother tells me that when I was about 2, I knocked over a wastebasket and refused to pick it up. See? I've ALWAYS been a rebel.

Reba, 50
Rockville, MD    USA

Had green/blue hair in high school!

Tracy, 24
Ocean City, NJ  USA

I ran off for the weekend with a 21 year old guy to Gainsville. I didn't tell my mom and she called us and threated to call the police.

Savannah

it was either when i drove an hour and a half butt naked in a rickety old minivan...or when i wake up every morning a pissed off agnostic anarchist with a penchant for poetry and speaking my mind

Anthony, 25
Baton Rouge, LA  USA

I dated a boy, and I wasn't ashamed of it.

Eric, 18
Beverly Hills , CA   USA

Yesterday / Tomorrow