18 January 2005
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The Relativity of Coolness - 1:14 p.m.
I went to Walmart yesterday, and I saw two girls in electronics. They looked around middle school-aged. I was sifting through the pop-rock section, which was [for some strange reason] next to the country section. I picked up the newest NOW CD [it was 17, I think] to see what kind of "pop culture" I've been missing out on. I wasn't missing much.
As the two girls walked by, Girl 1 said to Girl 2, "Country music isn't cool anymore."
Girl 2 said, "Nobody listens to it. It's not." They turn around and exit the aisle, not even turning toward what they might deem as "cool" music, music that "everyone else" listens to.
That was how I could tell that they were middle school-aged. I remember being like that myself. If everyone else wore it, it was cool. If it cost a lot of money, it was cool. If some famous person wore it or advertised it, it was cool. However, if the uncool kids wore it or if you could buy it at a supercenter store or if nobody condoned it, it was uncool. I remember those days. I even remember one girl in eighth grade complaining that there were no more cool clothes left in our local mall [because she had nearly all the "cool" ones] and that she needed to go to Atlanta or somewhere like that to shop.
When I was in middle school, I wore the Walmart clothes, but I was in near-constant fear that my classmates would discover that they were indeed Walmart clothes. After all, my family couldn't afford to go to the mall every weekend to buy me new clothes. Middle school got to me in that sense.
Now, however, I'm not quite as pickly picky. I wear what I like when I like. Granted, I don't wear too much over the top, but I don't care about the labels anymore or if my classmates will discover that my top came from Walmart. [Come to think about it, I have a few of those. I like them, too.] I can't shop for pants there because even the long lengths are too short [being tall comes at a price], but I can usually work with tops.
The moral of the story: Coolness is relative. Make your coolness count for what you want it to be. Getting over all this teenage drama is the key to becoming yourself.
To Do:
1. Spanish Quia stuff
2. Calculus test tomorrow!!!
3. French club/SHF meeting this afternoon
4. Read "Wealth of Nations" chapter for world civ
5. Go back to the other school and find out about senior project
6. Finish the Byrd