I thought I was beginning to conform recently...
I bother to wear make-up to college, and got annoyed one day when I forgot it. Two years ago I never would've done that. I would've just been like "Meh...oh well." Although two years ago I didn't wear make-up full stop. Didn't see the point. Still don't really if I'm honest.
I even bought some boots before christmas, that look a little cowboy bootish. I liked them and they fit. Then I discovered they were in fashion...But it didn't bother me. I don't follow fashion at all, but if I like something that's in fashion, and think I'll wear it, I'll buy it.
But more than anything else, in the last few years I've become more and more sociable. I used to be the quiet kid who sat against the wall, or under my tree (yes, MY tree), reading a book or something, not talking to anyone. Sure if someone came over I'd talk to them, but I wouldn't make an effort to talk to anyone. And no, I was not an "emo kid" ¬¬ I just used to prefer to be alone. At 13 it seemed you couldn't have a conversation that wasn't about make-up, boys, parties, or just bitchy gossip. I hate gossip, but that is a rant for another time. I guess I was a bit of a loner, but not a real one, cos I had a few close friends. I miss my days of semi-solitude...they were so much simpler. I didn't have to please anyone except myself. But I love all the friends I have now. Do you hear me?!! YOU'RE ALL MINT!!!!!! (I'm sure they heard that in Australia...). I wouldn't go back to my loner-ness now.
But my determination to not conform has been kept strong by my lack of listening to other people's opinions on other people. If there's one thing I hate it's people taking one look at a person and saying, "Oh yeah they're obnoxious/irritating/arrogant/foul-mouthed/weird/scary, so I hate them and I'm not gonna talk to them." WILL YOU PEOPLE STOP TAKING EVERYONE AT FACE VALUE!!! I know I do it sometimes, and this is therefore a rather hypocritical thing to be yelling at you, but at least I'm working on it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems that over half of the people out there will meet someone and BAM! they form an opinion almost straight off. No one seems to get to know anyone anymore and conversations remain superficial. I blame msn personally (another rant for another time).
The whole catalyst for this rant was that I realised, a little like one of my best mates, I will often befriend the person that people bitch about. We met because of this. She was being looked after by a girl in her class. We were all in cookery together, and she saw me washing up, wearing an apron with a cat's face on (we both love cats ^_^). When my best-mate-to-be asked the girl who was looking after her who I was, she replied, "Oh that's Alanna. She's really grumpy don't talk to her." And so, of course, my-bezzie-to-be bounded straight over and started helping me with the washing up. We've been best mates ever since.
The thing is that it's not out of pity, like, "OMG EVERYONE HATES THEM?? *wells up* I MUST BEFRIEND THEM!!!" That's not it at all. (That only happens when buying copies of Leroux's Phantom of the Opera online and seeing that one particular copy is an unwanted gift, and going, "OMG IT'S UNWANTED?? *wells up* I MUST BUY IT!!!") I've found it's because often enough this person won't conform to the normal look, won't be fashionable, and gives off the aura of not giving a damn what other people think, which I always admire. In short, it's the fact that they are utterly themselves that attracts me to them. And that's often the same reason why all the *cough* "popular" *cough* type people don't like them - because they're "different." Thing is the "different" people always turn out to be the most interesting people I've ever met, with different views on things.
And besides I also like to prove judgmental people wrong...
I just hate the fact that people's reputations are determined in seconds, and speak for them. No one gets to know anyone anymore, people just assume things that they've heard are true. Unless you were there and you saw/heard it happen, then don't believe a word of it. Go and talk to whoever you want to talk to, and if they turn out to be exactly like everyone said, so be it, and least you know that now yourself and you aren't just judging a book by it's blurb and cover.