Collective desires

  At first I didn’t really understand this assignment, but the more I thought about it, the more I think I understand. I know probably the more common fears that are written about are terrorist attacks, 9/11, war, bush as president, etc. Honestly though? I think the biggest fear that plagues many, many Americans is the fear of being different and being alienated. Our collective desires as Americans it to just fit in and be normal. Perhaps you are thinking this is completely untrue, because America is all about diversity, and people are free to be who they are. But from what I have seen and experienced in my life, people hate to be looked at as weird, different, or strange. This can go from personalities, looks, habits, education, etc. Not only that, but you can get this fear from just thinking about doing something that people might react strangely to. For example, my brother stopped playing the flute when he was younger because he got teased for it and made fun of. He could have been really good, but it was that fear of being different that drove him to quit.

People can always find a flaw in someone else, and when these flaws are brought to the attention of others, it can be an excruciatingly painful experience. Think back to your memories in elementary school, middle school, high school, maybe even college. Wasn’t there always that stinky kid, the weird kid, the smart kid, the not-so-smart kid, the fat kid, etc? Maybe you were one of those kids. I’m trying to be as honest as I can hear, and I know that I excluded and alienated kids in the past based on these kinds of qualities, and I’m sure you have too. I also have been the kid who has been alienated and felt that no one liked me. It’s probably the worst feeling in the world.

         If you are reading this and are saying you have never experienced this kind of fear, you are either lying to yourself, or have had an extremely blessed life. Do you know what the main reason is for people committing suicide? Loneliness, and feeling out of place in society. That’s also the leading cause in depression. America has put this image into our brains of what we are all supposed to emobody: the perfect brain, the perfect body, the perfect clothes, etc. If you can’t fit that mold, then it’s hard to fit in, which can have devestating effects. I know that if you looked in the halls of my high school right now, probably 90% of the kids will look like they fell out of an American Eagle Ad. Why? Because that’s what the “in” look is. We have placed celebrities and this idealistic image so high on a pedestal it’s hard for many people out there to ever be able to reach it. You know, and I know, that feeling like an oddball isn’t always a good feeling. You too have probably felt fear of this at some point in your life, even if you don’t want to admit it. This above anything else, I think is one of the biggest fears of our nation: the fear of being different and alienated. Our collective desire is to just be viewed as normal.

             If I had to briefly write about a hero in our culture right now, believe it or not, i would pick Britney Spears. I know this probably seems like a crazy choice, but I have my reasons. Firstly, this girl is living her crazy right out on her sleeve. She is showing the world that the “perfect” life isn’t always so perfect, and that even these stars can have breakdowns too. People who are having issues in their lives can look at her right now, and not to sound cruel, but almost feel better about themselves, not because she is a wreck, but because they can maybe see that they aren’t so different. That maybe, life isn’t perfect for everyone else, and that other people struggle. Maybe, through this one girl’s very public breakdown, others can see that there is no normal, and that everyone is different. She’s definitely a tragic hero, but a hero nonetheless. Ironically, Britney Spears can be shown as being heroic for being so crazy. Who would have thought?