"BOY!"
If you heard that word, depending on its context, it usually meant you or someone near you was about to be made fun of. The on-the-spot remarks usually consisted of the made up shortcomings of one's appearance.
The middle school I attended required its students to adhere to its dress code policy by wearing the required uniform. I'll never forget the day this boy told me that, "We're all wearing the same thing. The only way to tell if someone is cool or not is by their shoes." I was never eager for much attention so I looked down at my shoes. I was wearing my new tennis shoes my mom had purchased for me while enduring the school year. Whatever the name of the shoes were, it wasn't one of the huge brand names you'd see advertised on TV. Nonetheless, I felt cool because I had something not everyone has, shoes on my feet.
In my younger, and more awkward years, I was bullied. Reasons being mainly because of my appearance and morals. I had braces, acne, and wore glasses, an easy target I would imagine. I was observant of things that weren't necessarily important such as the attire of my peers, the topics they talked about, and who was the butt of their jokes.
Why was one made to feel less than a person because of something as simple as what they wore? If you didn't have this type of shoe, this type of hairstyle, or hell, even a certain type of sock, you were made fun of.
You see, just because someone isn't as materialistic as the next, it doesn't make them any less of a person. One shouldn't feel like the runt of the litter that no one wanted, the forgotten toy at the bottom of the play pen, or the eldest child that hardly gets any attention.
From what I've learned, material things do not make you cool, as they are only temporary. What makes you "cool" is what's in your mind, because that is forever. We go through life to learn and to teach and in the end, we all end up in the same place anyways.
In the real world, no one cares about how much money you've spent on your name brand clothing, or how fancy your car is. It all boils down to what you can bring to the table and if it's only materials and shouting "Yass!" every few minutes, then you haven't truly gained anything besides getting deeper into debt.
Maybe if people didn't stop to pick apart your attire, but instead picked apart your brain, there'd be less of a need to fight so hard to fit in. Maybe if being a clone of the first person who received an ounce of praise for what they have on their body versus what they have in their minds wasn't glorified, there wouldn't be such a strong desire to be like them.
Overall, my point is to stick to your morals, even if it is not going with the latest trends. Just don't lose sight of what really matters because in most cases, the cool kids aren't cool, they're just on their way to being broke.
