Overturned Expectations
A couple of things before we get down to the point(s) of this post.
1: This is techincally two posts in one. You'll know when the first one has stopped. There will be a sqiggly line.
2: I owe the title of this post to Lady Meriwen over at TLC. She came up with it by accident. I just stole it.
3: I am no longer apologising for the editorial tone of these posts. I want to be a journalist. Get used to it .
4: How long has it been since I used my curious icon. Answer: Too long.
Now on to the fun.
There's only one thing I hate more than stereotypes. And that's people who succumb to the stereotype.
We don't like to admit it but we all live in a world of stereotypes and expectations. The nerd, the jock, the bad boy and the popular girl. The emo, the geek, the metalhead. The outsider, the class clown. We stereotype teens as criminals awaiting asbos and politicans as lying frauds. Even if we don't mean to we do. That's just how the world works. It's easier to put people into boxes.
Now that everyone fits easily into one simpe box. I for one could be classed as either a nerd or an outsider. Most people would class me as a nerd though I think. I guess I would classify myself as that as well. But what really really annoys me is when people accept the lables that society gives them. Rather than buck the expectations of the universe they simply go along for the ride.
I have a friend (naming no names) who is doing exactly that. She's an art student. Immensly popular. And her boyfriend is....well if this was American I would probably call him a jock. Yes he reads and does English. But he's extrodinarly good looking and into sports. How much of a cliche is that. The artsy popular chick dating the good looking athlete. It makes me want to smack my head against the wall.
Not cause I don't like the guy in question. He's a realy, really nice guy and he treats my friend well. But to see her fall into the cliche. I expected more from her. I expected her to be extrodinary. I expected that she - of all the people I know - would be the one who would work to buck the trend.
Guess I didn't know her as well as I thought I did.
Because let's be honest here. Expectations are boring. If you go through life following the trend, doing exactly what people - what society - says you should be doing than you are going to miss out on so many opportunites. If you strech your wings a bit and try to move outside your comfort zone from time to time than you are likely to experience so much more. You'll meet new people, smell new smells, see new sights.. Things you never thought were possible if you just take the time to try something new and unexpected every single day.
MILA - My Life is Average. That's what she keeps telling me.
It didn't have to be you know.
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I realised today that I don't know who I am.
Not in that I can't remember my name/where I live/ my PIN number way. But in that I am Will Davie -------- type of way. I can not yet look at myself and define myself in words of two syllables or more.
I mean I guess we are all too complex to really do that. But I look at my friends and they - at least on the surface - seem to have got their lives together. They know who they are, what they want and are prepared to do what ever it takes to do it. Maybe their all jibbering wrecks beneath the surface - I sorta hope they are - but they a good job of keeping it a secret if they are. They don't have to define themselves by other people because they know who they are. I want to be able to do that.
I mean I know exacxtly how other people see me, Son, Grandson, Cousin, Nephew, Friend, Best Friend, Student. I know how I see myself on occasion. Aspiring Journalist, Writer, Broody Git, Sarcastic Pessimist. I know how the world sees me at current. Cancer Survivor. But those are only parts of who I am. I have yet to put these pieces together and seen the real me. And I don't know A: What I will see if I ever do put the pieces together and B: If I'll like the person I see.
I guess it's a good thing I'm (hopefully) going to Uni in September. If I'm in a totally new environment staring afresh maybe I'll finally have a chance to finally figure out who I am. What I want to be and what I want from life.
Or failing that I can totally reinvent myself as someone suave and sophisticated. For those of you famliar with Gossip Girl (or have access to Google) think Chuck Bass without all the .....problems.
Either option works for me.
But I shall throw this out to you oh mighty LJ. Who do you think I am. What do you think of me.
Feel free to be honest.