A high school student spoke to me on the midnight bus the other day. She asked me if University students were always like this. Looking down the length of the bus, you might confuse it for a cramped dance floor. Very raucous. I told her not necessarily, that she didn't have to be like that if she didn't want to, that I knew a bunch of people who were more consistently mature and weren't weird for it. She seemed relieved. She was alarmed at feeling more mature, having at 14 moved out of her house and trying to survive just high school.
Humans are weird. They celebrate life in weird ways. I can't say their ways are wrong: I'm much more tolerant of the less controlled ways than I used to be. Despite what I consider traumatic experiences growing up, it's helpful to focus on examples of good people letting loose: not everyone is a jerk or a complete idiot. And I remain free to be different: I'm glad I have friends who don't bother me and are considerate about it, and I let them have their fun in their way.
Last weekend I threw a birthday party for a friend at my place, and it was typical me: I baked cookies, made ghetto sushi, played Wii Sports Resort, and watched Scott Pilgrim. 3 of us had already seen it, and it was new to 2 others. The film is transcendent. Tonight I went to the 2012 OCUS Formal, which was a bizarre experience for me for a variety of reasons. I ate, I danced, I laughed and helped people laugh, and I was a runner up for best dressed. (I should have won! and I might have, had I voted for myself!) I love formals, getting dolled up on a lark, showing my finest Value Village finds, and dancing like crazy. I think someone compliments me on my dancing every time, and I still can't figure out if people are being sincere, or if they think my dancing is weird and thus remarkable. I don't think it matters as long as I have someone to dance with.
There was an anti-formal party at a friends' house afterwards. They're the cool kids to me, superficially suggestive of misfits who actually fit quite well. I drank (pure) kool-aid while others had their beverages of choice, and it was fine. No one was obnoxious. One fellow perhaps chose too much beverage, but he was a fine fellow before and remained a fine fellow after. There was good conversation, good laughter, and good company beside me.
I find the method that works best for improving my tolerance of things that are different from my norm is to find wonderful examples of them. I used to not be fond of punk culture until in high school I made a friend who was totally punk. Same with a lot of subcultures that don't typify me. My friends really do save me from intolerance. I'm glad intolerance doesn't save me from making friends. :)
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