It's OK To Be Different

Meg Lyttle, 16, Canada

This picture is of my boyfriend Mike and I. Look closely at the clothes I am wearing and my hairstyle. This is considered weird and stupid. Why??

In today's society it is not acceptable to look different. If you are not wearing the name brand labels that everyone else is wearing, then you are not "cool" or you will never be "popular". It seems unfair that you get discriminated for being unique. It's almost as if you are not allowed to express yourself by using your imagination.

A lot of people might disagree and say that this is not true. People won't discriminate you for being who you want to be. But being a 16 year old high school student who is different from the "popular" crowd, I know this statement is in fact true.

Just because I listen to a different music than everyone else and I dress differently, I am labeled as being weird. I know a lot of teens that can relate to this feeling of being singled out.

I don't see the point in looking like everyone else. Not one person in this whole entire world is exactly the same, so why would you want to try to be someone that you aren't? Just to "fit in"? If that's the way it's going to be, I don't want to fit in.

I'm quite happy living the way I do. I have enough friends who don't care about the way I dress or the colours I dye my hair. That's the way it should be. These days people are so harsh and crude. They stick together in their little cliques and you'd be surprised at how boring their lives really are.

The reason I say this is because I was friends with the "popular" crowd at one point. All they care about is their hair, their makeup and boys. Isn't there more to life than that? I sure thought so. I'm writing this hoping that I will show people who are hiding their true selves just to fit in, that it's not worth it. You would be a lot happier being yourself, and if they really are true friends they will continue being your friends, no matter how you dress or what music you listen to.

To the "popular" people: I'm sure you have more depth than you express, so why don't you show it? You have brains and I'm sure you are pretty smart. What's the point in being "trendy" and "popular"? Where is it going to get you in life? If you walk in for an important job interview and say that you were "popular" in high school, do you think that's going to get you the job? Highly unlikely. But if people who express their creativity, individuality and uniqueness walk into the important job interview and talk about how they reached all their goals in high school and took photography courses and explored their options in life, they just might get that job. And they just might get a little more out of life than the people who were constantly trying to "fit in", rather than trying to do well in school and such.

So, just to let you know, it's ok to be different. In fact, it's more than ok, it's probably a very good advantage to you, and one day you will realize that.