Do you want to know something I hate? Being called basic. For those of you who don’t know, being basic basically means you enjoy things that are deemed as “trendy.” If you scroll through any form of social media, you are bound to stumble upon a frat boy making a comment about the “sorority girl uniform” of oversized tees and Nike shorts, or a grown woman who has better things to be doing but has not realized it yet posting a rant about how leggings are in no way considered pants *eye roll*.
Ever since this became such a commonly used term, I have had a hard time understanding what being basic meant, and why people wanted to use the term while referring to almost everything I liked to do. Why was it that I was starting to feel guilty for carrying my Starbucks cup around everywhere I went? And why did I feel like I had to apologize for wearing my oversized t-shirt and Nike shorts every day of my life? I started to feel like I wanted to be someone else, just to avoid the derogatory term. People had told me my whole life to be myself, but the second I started doing the things I liked, I was told that I was just doing it because other people were doing the same thing. I spent so much time trying to please everyone’s perception of what being myself meant to them, instead of showing what it meant to me. It made me feel like I had lost every ounce of originality, when in all honesty I was just trying being myself.
Let’s set the record straight for all the basic girls out there that feel just like me.
Maybe I like to wear my polo hat with every outfit because I’m a college student and don’t have time to do my hair. Maybe I really do love my sorority that much. Maybe I like wearing my t-shirts that big because they’re comfortable, and just because you can’t see my shorts doesn’t mean I’m not wearing any. And you know what? Maybe I really like taking a million pictures with my Little and, yeah, she really is the best Little ever. And yes, maybe I really do want to go to Chipotle at least once a day or possibly sometimes twice. It took me a long time to realize I shouldn’t ever deny myself the things I enjoy in life just because other people enjoy doing the exact same thing. I should never feel like I have to change who I am in order to break a mold. I like the mold I fit into. Be basic. Be not basic. Be whatever you want. Life is measured by the journey, not the destination. And I just so happen to be walking along my journey in Chacos, listening to my favorite Taylor Swift song, while sipping on a Pumpkin Spice Latte. So you know what? I like being basic, and so should you.
