shrubbery

There are little topiary shrubs in some of the landscaping outside the kid's school, carefully trimmed into swirly patterns extending up the height of the bushes.  As I passed them this afternoon it occurred to me that I feel as though I must be in the process of being trimmed, metaphorically speaking, into a pattern, but I have no idea at this point what the pattern will be.  That's a little uncomfortable in my mid-30s.  Then, I got to thinking about whether we're more like topiary or like "regular" shrubs.  How precisely are we trimmed?  Even topiary must grow on its own in between trimmings, or it would be nothing but a bunch of sticks.  Even your average shrub in the garden must be trimmed occasionally or it turns into a leggy, floppy mess.  I haven't come to any conclusions about this balance between independence and guidance.