Do you ever fear that your true self is someone that culture constantly mocks or considers a cliche? For example, let's just say you're a Dallas Cowboys fan because that's who your parents liked when you were growing up. Even though it's the most cliche NFL team in the country, you still like them, and any time someone asks you who your favorite team is, and you respond with, "The Dallas Cowboys," they give you that look. You know, the look that only Dallas Cowboy fans and hipsters know. The look of "Oh, of course you are. How original." The person couldn't care less that you genuinely grew up liking the team as a part of a family tradition, and they just automatically put you into the category of being a cliche Dallas Cowboy fan.
The more I look at myself now-a-days, the more I feel like I fall into this category of a cliche. Why? Because I fit perfectly into both of said categories above - one more than the other. Yes, I'm a Dallas Cowboys fan, but more so than that, I feel like if I looked at myself in the mirror, I would call me that word we all know and love: a hipster (I guess the first step is admitting it).
I'm going to tell you a few of my favorite things, and I'll let you decide for yourself whether or not I fit the mold:
- Blogging
- Converse shoes
- Coffee shops
- Music
- Apple Products
- 'Slim' pants
- Photography
- Graphic design
- Vinyl
- Hiking
- Traveling
I could keep going, but I think you get the picture. If you were to draw up a person that looked like what I just described, you'd probably add on some thick rimmed glasses and a beanie, but for the most part, you'd come out with a hipster-ish looking individual. Now, for the longest time, this bothered me. I didn't want to be put into a category, especially a category as cliche as 'hipster,' but really, that list above describes me pretty well, despite how cliche it may be. Those are the things and hobbies in life that I find most enjoyable; they aren't part of a mold that I'm trying to fit into. It's just life.
I'm not writing this to admit to being a hipster, and I'm not writing it to encourage you to 'just be yourself no matter what that looks like!' I'm writing this because I want to encourage you not to be afraid of what culture may or may not call you. If you like country music, wearing cowboy boots and farming, don't be afraid of the word 'redneck.' If you like school, reading and have to wear glasses, don't be afraid of the word 'nerd.'
Whatever category you fear you may fit in, you're more than a category. You're more than a label, and you're more than a word that someone may call you. We all have our own interests, and we all have things in our lives that genuinely make us happy. It's not about living up to or not living up to what culture says about you. Don't be afraid of 'fitting a cliche' or not. Enjoy what you enjoy and embrace your inner 'hipster' (or whatever the world calls you that you may or may not like to hear).
-Cliff
Cliff's Note: If you look like a _____, sound like a ______ and smell like a ______, you might be a blank, but that's not always a bad thing. (results vary)