PSA: Being Different

Like Nancy Mairs' Disability piece, Amy Tan brings to light the idea of being different. She ends up feeling embarrassed and ashamed for simply being different. Especially in high school, people just want to fit in. They want to be accepted and fit into their group of friends or cliques. However, that doesn't justify being ashamed of who they are. Not only is it important to be proud of your culture, but it's also important to just be yourself. High school is only four short years. What happens there does not define who a person is. So what if some people don't want to cut their hair even though it's starting to look like a straight haired afro? So what if some people like wearing crocs because they're comfortable, yet stylish? Or, as Amy might say, who cares if some people eat "stacked wedges of rubbery white sponges" instead of roasted turkey and sweet potatoes for Christmas (Tan 95)? Everyone should take pride in being unique. As my friend's blog title says, You [is] for Unique (check out the blog). However, this does not mean people should go around trying to be all hipster. It is definitely not a good idea to reject all of society's rules and decide to never wear clothes again in hopes to be "unique".  That being said, "your only shame is to have shame" (95).