Friday, January 27, 2012

What A Stud!

I pierced my ear two days ago. Not ears. Not got my ears pierced. Well, I had had my ears pierced when I was an infant (some painful ritual) and I decided to bank on what was left of the holes. This evening, I went to the jeweller's and got a silver earring.

The thingything. I call it my earring. :D


People at different places have reacted differently to the fact that I have pierced my ears, and more recently, have had the audacity to actually wear something there. Some said I wasn't 'that kind of a roguish boy', while my mum defensively told the jeweller that 'boys' were wearing earrings now that girls weren't. The jeweller tried his best at not letting my mum benefit from any bargain by telling her that I will have hordes of girls vying for me now that I have a stud. *disgustedflatface* My dad asked me who I was obeying by wearing the earring; he asked if it was some kind of a trend. My music teacher (to my joy) suggested I wear something in silver. 




So, why exactly am I wearing an earring? Is it because it's a fad, a trend? No, because if it were, I would have jumped at every available opportunity to get something 'new-and-in'. Does wearing it make me cool? I'd admit to not knowing. I am certainly not wearing it for that reason. So, I'm wearing it just for the heck of it, aren't I? 




To some extent, that would be true. I am wearing it because I want to wear it. I am doing it because it gives me a sense of satisfaction doing what I want to do. And regardless of what others think I should do, I will do what I want to, irrespective of whether or not it conforms with what is expected of me.




Sharvari Aai says I am on my way to become a Non-conformist. I wouldn't know. The only thing I agree on knowing is that the only thing I conform to is my conscience.



Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Non-Conformism

We wrote letters to each other as a manner of saying goodbye at the end of Junior College. Quite surprisingly, almost everyone I received a letter from wrote that they admired me because I was 'genuine', 'out-of-the-ordinary' and 'not fake'. This raised many questions in my mind. What did they all mean by the same thing? Do I actually have a persona that can be admired? For you see, I was under the impression I was pretty boring to the outside world, because I hardly take much interest in social interaction and activity. In fact, I'm happiest when I'm by myself.

That brought me to the content of their appraisals. One friend said I stick to being myself, no matter what other people think, say or do. It's true: I've never really seen the point of changing for the world, because then you'd just spend more time behaving in a way that is not natural to you. This not only puts a barrier in your journey towards self-actualisation, but it also takes away the joy - the interest - you have in living. This attitude would, of course, make me 'out-of-the-ordinary', since according to my observations, not many people think like this, and neither do they want to. Being in their own closet space brings them security, and listening to the opposition of the world towards the impulses of their Id (the few rational ones), brings them conflict. People who emulate other people - may they be the 'popular' ones, or the ones belonging to a counterculture (which, even though put down as non-conformist, is really conforming to the fixed, albeit different, ideas of a group) - feel accepted by society.

Non-conformists, on the other hand, feel no such need. Even if they might be wearing the 'current' fashion trends, they do so because they like them, and not because everyone else does - or does not. Anti-conformists do exactly the opposite of what is the norm as a way of differentiating themselves from the crowd. Non-conformists usually don't know they are non-conformists, as had happened to poor me until a while ago.

This blog celebrates non-conformism. Weirdness is appreciated, welcomed and rewarded here. The moral of the story is: Be yourself, and don't follow the crowd. They most often don't know where they're going. Come on! Could you see where you were headed to if the street you were walking on was full of people? Crane your neck and look, and if you don't like where you're going, don't hesitate to turn and walk the other way.