pigeonholing by way of whining
*note: i typed part of this entry last week, july 15th-16th
what happens when you're not part of any stereotype? sure, we all like to think we're unique individuals, and that we're an eclectic mix of all the interests, experiences, cutltures, passions and philosophies we have. but what if you're really just a jack-of-all-trades kind of person? is that even a stereotype on its own, too?
yesterday, i read from a friend's magazine an article on defining the filipina in a western society. looking back, i do not think/see/act as those that were mentioned in the piece, but that doesn't negate my ethnicity, right? it is understandable that general knowledge would associate being filipina with certain professions, since they base that knowledge on a general trend that reflects realities.
i consider myself a music fan (is/was? doesn't matter.). then again, i don't associate myself much with the people in the same scene as i. google: define scene. i'm not blind; i notice fashion and how trends tend to progress from one year to another. it's all about the music, some would say, but in reality there's a whole other subculture attached to it. it dictates that its followers should live a sustainable lifestyle by getting around the city in vintage bikes, that they should all be vegans, that american apparel, tattoos and piercings are a must to achieve "the look".
being a twin isn't helping. irl friends get my attention by calling me "twin", which i do not mind. it's not their fault that they sometimes can't tell my sister and i apart and i kind of already am used to it. being a twin means constantly being asked "where's your sister?" or something else of that nature. yes, my sister and i are alike in a lot of ways so the challenge of being compared is and has always been there. but! i think it would be nicer if i were considered as my own person. (i love my sister to death, please don't get me wrong.)
damn it. ending this with an "i am me" is also typical. at least when you're stereotypical, you have something you can attribute your personality to. presets are yours for taking. if you don't, does that mean you're a floater? does that mean you lack personality, or even worse: you're of no substance at all? ouch. i feel out of place.
----
i always find myself --. i thirst for normalcy even though i do not even know what "normal" is. i dislike most of the situations i put myself in, while some friends would gladly trade their lives for mine. this shit is nothing compared to their heartaches, brothers being admitted to rehab, financial burdens, contemplating suicide, parents' problems of falling out, battling depression with prozac, and anxiously waiting for permits to leave a life with hazy futures.
what happens when you're not part of any stereotype? sure, we all like to think we're unique individuals, and that we're an eclectic mix of all the interests, experiences, cutltures, passions and philosophies we have. but what if you're really just a jack-of-all-trades kind of person? is that even a stereotype on its own, too?
yesterday, i read from a friend's magazine an article on defining the filipina in a western society. looking back, i do not think/see/act as those that were mentioned in the piece, but that doesn't negate my ethnicity, right? it is understandable that general knowledge would associate being filipina with certain professions, since they base that knowledge on a general trend that reflects realities.
i consider myself a music fan (is/was? doesn't matter.). then again, i don't associate myself much with the people in the same scene as i. google: define scene. i'm not blind; i notice fashion and how trends tend to progress from one year to another. it's all about the music, some would say, but in reality there's a whole other subculture attached to it. it dictates that its followers should live a sustainable lifestyle by getting around the city in vintage bikes, that they should all be vegans, that american apparel, tattoos and piercings are a must to achieve "the look".
being a twin isn't helping. irl friends get my attention by calling me "twin", which i do not mind. it's not their fault that they sometimes can't tell my sister and i apart and i kind of already am used to it. being a twin means constantly being asked "where's your sister?" or something else of that nature. yes, my sister and i are alike in a lot of ways so the challenge of being compared is and has always been there. but! i think it would be nicer if i were considered as my own person. (i love my sister to death, please don't get me wrong.)
damn it. ending this with an "i am me" is also typical. at least when you're stereotypical, you have something you can attribute your personality to. presets are yours for taking. if you don't, does that mean you're a floater? does that mean you lack personality, or even worse: you're of no substance at all? ouch. i feel out of place.
----
i always find myself --. i thirst for normalcy even though i do not even know what "normal" is. i dislike most of the situations i put myself in, while some friends would gladly trade their lives for mine. this shit is nothing compared to their heartaches, brothers being admitted to rehab, financial burdens, contemplating suicide, parents' problems of falling out, battling depression with prozac, and anxiously waiting for permits to leave a life with hazy futures.