So, a first time blogger, I join the rest. Like a sheep, I scamper after the flock. First, it was yo-yos. Then came Pokémon. Somewhat of a large gap preceded MySpace, with a little dabbling in BeBo. Next? The biggie. Facebook.
That’s just my personal history though. I’m sure you can think back and remember different hypes that hit your schools and streets.
Of course, let’s not forget the other crazes, the things that were "cool" to like, just because someone you didn’t know and had never met had given their decree upon what was “in” and what was last season. Spice Girls, jumpsuits and leggings. (Closely followed by jeggings.) Dark Romance, whilst we are on the topic of crazes, can seriously be put behind us now, do you not think?
No matter what we think, we are sheep, in essence. I’ll be honest - I don’t mind being a sheep at all. Some people will always try to stand out from the crowd, try their best to be different and rebel.
It rarely works.
Non-conformity is merely a different kind of conformity. Non-conformity is when you conform with all those other non-conformers. Six of one. Half a dozen of the other.
This evening, I asked my sister if she could remember any other trends that had hit us whilst we were growing up. Failing to think of anything to match Pokémon, she made comments on the general mindset of teenage girls. ‘Everyone does what’s cool and “in”. Topshop is the craze at the moment because of the brand and reputation.’ (For your sake, I’ve edited what she said to make sense. In her cold induced, bunged up state she in fact said something like: ‘Evrywhon does whah coo an “ih”. Topshop is theh craze ah theh momend becah of theh brand an repootation.’)
My favourite jeggings are from Topshop (so favoured that they’ve shown the first small hole in the seam) but, apart from that, neither of us are particularly swayed by them. Unless you have the stature of Blake Lively, the clothes won’t really flatter. Their brand doesn’t immediately cry out for petite, shorter females, who are perhaps slightly top heavy. It only has one market; it’s the skinny, tall ones that go rushing to their stores. H&M, with their wider range, wins us over 95% of the time.
My sister continued, ‘I remember one Christmas when everyone suddenly had one [an iPod]. No one says, “Oh, check it. I got the new Nokia.” or “Hey, guys, look at my new LG.’ It’s all about Apple.’ (Again, translated from her Unwell Accent.) I smiled and nodded, typing away furiously at the keyboard of my MacBook.
It’s a shame - I bet that, in this huge wide world, filled with millions of people, there will be at least one kid out there who has heard of Apple Macs but not the Apple Fruit. Come on. All these people milling around. There’s got to be one numpty parent who hasn’t introduced their kid to fruit. Dare I cast my eye to the West?
Being a sheep can’t be all that bad. I’m happy enough and it gives everyone something to talk about other than the weather and who should have been kicked off last week’s X-Factor. If anything, I’m grateful for fads for that exact reason. I block my ears and sing a la-la-la-la-la whenever someone even mentions what drama Cheryl and Simon got themselves into at the weekend. I think that sounds like more of a scandal than I meant it to.
So, here’s to being a sheep and the sense of community it brings. I don’t intend for this to get far or for it to be even read by many, if any. ‘What’s the point then?’ you may think. Sheep mentality is all. Perhaps to let me vent some of these rambling thoughts out into the world, so they’re not cluttering my mind. An early start to my spring cleaning, if you will.
Goodnight, Blog, and Baa to you too, fellow sheep.
Next craze for me to follow? iPhone, I think.
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