Glorified Cliché
Do you ever catch a glimpse of yourself and chuckle? This morning as I ordered my Grande Soy Carmel Latte through the drive thru window at Starbuck’s in my imported luxury vehicle in a costly sub-section of a metropolitan city, it hit me…I’m a glorified cliché. Granted, this was a bit much to deal with so early in the morning…but I’m a neurotic, obsessive compulsive and my brain has a mind of its own.
Intrigued by this new found discovery, I pulled out my blackberry and googled cliché. According to Webster’s, a cliché is (1) a trite, stereotyped expression, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse; (2) a person or character whose behavior is predictable or superficial.
Common? Superficial? Lost originality? YIKES! Why are there so many negative connotations surrounding this harmless word? Better yet, where had I gone astray? I decided to dig deeper into my psyche and began to replay my life in my head.
Like most people, the cause (and cure) of my problems has everything to do with my childhood; so of course that was the first (and only) stop. My formative years were spent in “perfect” suburbia filled with cul-de-sacs, PTA meetings, dance classes, church revivals, fancy socials and family sing-a-longs. (Yes, family sing-a-longs!) Everyone wore pastels, smiled with an eerie tight grin and had a drink in their hand Monday - Saturday and armed with the “Holy Word“ on Sunday. And to add insult to injury, my mother was homecoming court royalty, my sister weighed 98lbs and I was the fat kid (read: full-bodied introvert). They all seemed to move in a heavily clichéd scripted manner and I swore once I ventured outside of the white picket fence everything would change. I’d not only carve my own niche, I’d make my own choices and become an authentic individual.
From my perspective, clichés are nothing more than judgments and labels hidden behind a cute little mask. And as long as a group of people are operating at the same level of awareness, its ok. But if someone comes along with a different temperament, then it’s a problem. Granted, some people are heavily clichéd sheep, but the passion behind their decision making process makes them unique and their choices shouldn‘t be discredited or scoffed. The societal elite (read: White Wigs, according to my friend Kim) are so quick to compose nit picky diatribes passing judgment. Little do they know, no one is authentic…especially in 2008. We are all predictable, blurred interpretations of one another. Which is hysterical because I too, passed judgment on my family and our social circle (and if they're reading, please forgive me); only to move across the country to another “perfect” suburbia.
At that moment of epiphany I laughed, reached for my designer caffeine, threw on my oversized shades and headed home.
Intrigued by this new found discovery, I pulled out my blackberry and googled cliché. According to Webster’s, a cliché is (1) a trite, stereotyped expression, usually expressing a popular or common thought or idea that has lost originality, ingenuity, and impact by long overuse; (2) a person or character whose behavior is predictable or superficial.
Common? Superficial? Lost originality? YIKES! Why are there so many negative connotations surrounding this harmless word? Better yet, where had I gone astray? I decided to dig deeper into my psyche and began to replay my life in my head.
Like most people, the cause (and cure) of my problems has everything to do with my childhood; so of course that was the first (and only) stop. My formative years were spent in “perfect” suburbia filled with cul-de-sacs, PTA meetings, dance classes, church revivals, fancy socials and family sing-a-longs. (Yes, family sing-a-longs!) Everyone wore pastels, smiled with an eerie tight grin and had a drink in their hand Monday - Saturday and armed with the “Holy Word“ on Sunday. And to add insult to injury, my mother was homecoming court royalty, my sister weighed 98lbs and I was the fat kid (read: full-bodied introvert). They all seemed to move in a heavily clichéd scripted manner and I swore once I ventured outside of the white picket fence everything would change. I’d not only carve my own niche, I’d make my own choices and become an authentic individual.
From my perspective, clichés are nothing more than judgments and labels hidden behind a cute little mask. And as long as a group of people are operating at the same level of awareness, its ok. But if someone comes along with a different temperament, then it’s a problem. Granted, some people are heavily clichéd sheep, but the passion behind their decision making process makes them unique and their choices shouldn‘t be discredited or scoffed. The societal elite (read: White Wigs, according to my friend Kim) are so quick to compose nit picky diatribes passing judgment. Little do they know, no one is authentic…especially in 2008. We are all predictable, blurred interpretations of one another. Which is hysterical because I too, passed judgment on my family and our social circle (and if they're reading, please forgive me); only to move across the country to another “perfect” suburbia.
At that moment of epiphany I laughed, reached for my designer caffeine, threw on my oversized shades and headed home.
