Dare to be Different

One night, I was sitting at the front of my family’s Pc, browsing files, while zipping my Vanilla Coke and munching some healthy junk food, when I came across this article, which touches me a few months ago. It touches me so much that I have it posted at our classroom’s bulletin board (oh, men, I’m gonna get jailed for that!). The article is about being different. The author (which, by the way is a very good writer at a very young age) proclaimed himself as a weirdo. Odd, bizarre, peculiar, uncanny, eerily, creepy, unusual, rare or outlandish. In our neighborhood, they are simply described as strange.

Then suddenly, it just pop out of my mind: why not make my own version of that article? It may sound imitative but I also want to share my own opinion about the subject. Though mine is quite different because this is my own point of view, a point of view of a girl and I don’t consider myself a weirdo. Slight lang!

Ok, here goes…

Some people say that I am different from the other girls my age. They say I should enjoy life more because I can only be young once in my lifetime. But come to think of it, who says I’m not enjoying?

I think these are the reasons why they considered me different from others: I collect lighters. I don’t smoke. I’m too quiet. I don’t usually go out. I hate nightlife. I love collecting newspapers. I don’t have a boyfriend at the moment. I like wearing elephant jeans and black baby tee. I don’t were too much silver jewelry. I hate fixing my hair. I don’t wear sleeveless. I don’t play billiards. I don’t want to have a barkada. I watch cartoons. I listen to PINOY bands. I listen to rap-metal and hardcore PINOY bands. Cali’s my favorite drink. I spend most of my time reading books. I don’t wear branded clothing. I like buying clothes at Quiapo. I hate putting on powder. I hate putting on lip-gloss. I’d rather walk than ride a taxi. I love riding jeepneys. I hate putting on make-ups. And I listen to punk-rock music.

My opinion: so what?

Kung trips ko, trips ko, kung hindi, hindi. I am never that kind of person who force one’s self to try out things just to be in the “in” crowd. Nope, definitely not me! I admit, I always try new things, but if the thing just won’t match me, I let go of the grab. Because I think I look so stupid when I’m doing things against my will. It’s just not me.

It happened to me, a lot of time. Once I was in a circle of friends that until now, I can’t believe that I became one of them. They teach me a lot of things that I am not just used doing. Every Saturday, I think, we always go to a billiard hall and play. Hanging out with our guy classmates and laughing about nothing. And always going to malls, chilling out, walking stupidly going nowhere. At 1^st, I’m trying to adjust ‘coz they might call me K.J. or the likes but as time goes by, I give up; I can’t hang on any longer. I suck in pretending. Playing billiards is fun, but I can’t just live in the fact that we are the only female species in the room filled with smoke (which might have killed me). Besides, billiards cost 100 pesos per hour. Which, at that time is my whole allowance for a week. Such a waste.

Maybe I’m just being practical. As far as my memory serves me, the last branded clothes I have bought were when my father was still here in the Philippines. I think that was around Christmas ’02. Then the rest stuffs on my closet were from my favorite place in the whole wide world…Quiapo! I was raised wearing clothes from that place. I think it’s impractical to spend P1000 for a branded t-shirt if you can have 2 jeans and 4 shirts for the same price. (Yeah! I-promote daw ba ang Quiapo!)

Then I have this two friend who’s kind of allergic to Jeeps. One time, they invited me to SM manila. Then I was surprised when they just ride the taxi. ”Huh? Magta-taxi tayo? Eh ang lapit lapit nun eh. Ok lang kayo?” that’s the only thing that I’ve said to them. They say they aren’t used riding jeepneys because they might be kidnapped or something but, the hell! It would all be easy if they’ll keep all their jewelries and cell phones at their bags. But no, they’d rather spend 72 pesos, back and forth, that spend 24 pesos (back and forth too). Weird.

The other thing that keeps me ”different” is my style and likes. My genre. I listen to Slapshock, Quezo, Chicosci, and Greyhounds, Parokya ni Edgar, Kamikazee, and Moonstar 88. Some of my classmates find it weird that I don’t know the song Mesmerize and I don’t know who Ja Rule is. It’s just that I don’t like listening to such kind of music because…because…I don’t know. It’s just not my type. Sure, the music sounds relaxing but my taste really is different. I prefer listening to parokya ni Edgar and head banging at Slapshock tunes. My girlfriends says it not really feminine listen to such kind of music. But it is REALLY not feminine. But the hell I care!

I don’t usually wear white or light colored shirts and sleeveless clothing. Maybe it just doesn’t match my mood. I hate wearing the pa-girl stuffs like dangling earrings, pink purses high heels and the likes. I like wearing elephant pants, ¾ shorts and loose jeans because it makes me feel comfortable. I really think there’s nothing wrong with that.

But then, you might ask? Tomboy ba si Aika?

Damn NO!

I remember once, my seatmate said ”maganda naman talaga si aika eh, mag-ayos ka lang ng konte”(I don’t know if I should take that as a compliment or not.)

I am just not vein. Basically, I take a bath twice a day, have my cologne replaced when I run out of it, I shampoo my hair and conditioned it everyday, wash my face every night, etc…etc…but that’s it. Nothing more complicated.

I’m not that kind of girl who carries kikay stuffs at their pack. Such kind that put on pressed powders every after subject. Such kind that puts artificial coloring at their cheeks so that people may think they are blushing. Such kind that puts on lipstick, or even lip-gloss. I don’t know. I really am not comfortable in these stuffs called make up. It irritates me. It makes me feel unnatural

I don’t act like a guy and aren’t too feminine too. I’m something in between.

I am not that social kind of person. I am not used at “disco” scenarios. In short, shy-type ako! (hehe). My friends and me go out, watch movies and something like that. But it seldom happened. I am not that kind of person who confronts people to be my friends. That, I want to improve.

I’m attracted to guys but am not craving to have one. Sure, I have fallen in love (hindi ako bato!). I don’t have a boyfriend at the moment because I choose not to have. I know love will find me. Present suitors just aren’t right for me. I wouldn’t want to have a boyfriend just for the sake of telling people that I have one. It’s just insane. I want something stable. I don’t want be attached to people I hardly know, or people I don’t really like.

Maybe it’s lonely being different in a way that you have nobody to talk to about your interest. But in reality, you just need to search. I know I can only talk about stuffs like that with my guy friend because my girl friends can’t really relate but at least I am happy because I am not pretending I am interested in something for the sake of the opinion of other people.

So who say I am not enjoying my life?

Sure I am

And loving every moment of it.

To the readers: All of us are different from each other and completely unique souls. You just need to explore more about yourselves and realize YOUR own wants and interests, not other’s. Sometimes being different is kinda cool. Learn to be one and I’m sure, you’ll get used to it. I have.

Dare to be different.