Am I cool?

- oh yeah, and who cares anyway -

For a long time I have tried to understand what being cool actually IS. How does it manifest?  Fashion-wise, just as well as irl.

I will be honest- it might be because I have tried to understand where on the “spectrum of cool” I am (not because I need approval, but just out of curiosity).

Oooh weee… (#rickandmortyreference)

Tough stuff.

Observing stuff around me, I have come to the impression that being cool very often means being rebellious. Breaking rules and doing things despite others' opinions of “right and wrong”. Or doing things that shock more than they awe the others (maybe both equally, but in any case the shock effect is heavily present).

There is a loophole in that theory that can be utilised very easily (oh, and yes, it can be applied to art and fashion as well). 

As long as you don’t understand it - how can you classify it? Which means- if you don’t understand it, how can you claim whether something is cool or not. That leaves a LOT of room for ANYTHING to “pass” as cool.

There is another important side to this whole “being rebellious” theory; one that attacks it at its very core. If being rebellious means doing things in spite of the others (quote/definition: “showing a desire to resist authority, control, or convention”) - how can that be cool? How can ANYTHING that is tied to the others’ opinion or approval be cool? Whether it is to please or to shock - as long as it is done in direct correlation with other people (whether the goal is to do the exact opposite or the exact same as other people would do or expect you to do)- it, well, just isn’t that cool.

Being rebellious aside - a most beautiful revelation came to me by accidentally stumbling upon an interview with Daryl Hall and a quote of his (I am a huge fan of the Hall & Oates duo, ‘cause Daryl's hair and Oates’ mustache -aside from their music- are giving me life!!) (oh yes, my references are all over the place today). According to Daryl - ‘The definition of cool is hiding your emotions – I'm not cool’. With that statement I think I finally found and in complete peace with myself claimed my place on the “spectrum of cool”. :)

So. Long story short. Just be whoever you want to be, in NO correlation with anyone else. Be a genuine expression of that bliss inside you. Keyword being “genuine” :) 

- Vjerana