I was uncool before uncool was cool.

Almost everyone, at some point in their life, has probably wanted to be considered cool. Whether it's through the way they present themselves ("Cool shirt" or "Oh, you got a haircut, it looks really cool!"), or through an action they do ("Yo, you went skydiving? Cool!") people want to do things that get them accepted into social circles, that make them either fit in or stand out in a positive way.

But what does it really mean to be "cool"?

In my opinion, it's not something that's easy to define, since pretty much everything may be considered cool by some people but lame by others. I mean, some people might think lava lamps are awesome (myself included XD), while others may find them ridiculous, and not understand why people are so fascinated by colorful glowing blobs encased in glass. It works the other way around, too; some people may think polka dotted clothing is unattractive while other people really like the style.

As for acting "cool," though, I don't think it's always such a pressing issue for everyone. I mean, some people are in situations where they're expected to act certain ways with certain groups of people, otherwise they may be criticized, which leads them to feel that they need to hold back certain aspects of their personality. Also, people may be uncomfortable with certain ways that they act- even if it hasn't been judged, they just feel awkward about their own actions and that they should change themselves in order to feel more at ease.

I know that in many aspects, I would never be considered cool. One of my closest friends has told me many times that I am lame, a dork, a loser, etc. and while I know he's kidding and just picking on me in a joking way, at the same time, I know there's a grain of truth to his statements. A lot of the things I say come completely out of nowhere, don't make much sense, or end up sounding kind of stupid...not to mention I tend to tell really bad stories that have no point whatsoever. So yeah, listening to me talk may seem like a total WTF-fest at times, and a lot of the things I say and do could make me come across as kind of a major dork. Sometimes I feel a little self-concious about it, I'm not gonna lie. I feel as if I should change the way I act or live a different sort of lifestyle...but then I think about it and I think about certain things other people do and I really don't want to have their lifestyles. Even if I might seem kind of eccentric...I have fun, and I'm happiest when I'm with my friends hanging out and just having fun with them, being random and crazy and talking about anything and everything. I'm sure that's true for most people out there...no matter what their idea of having fun or being cool is.

So, yeah...even though there are times when I'm not entirely secure with myself, I'm pretty sure that's the same with everyone out there. Overall, I think that it's better to accept all the qualities of your personality, even if some of them may be considered lame or dorky or whatever...and even though not everyone may be understanding of them, when you're able to find good friends who you can completely be yourself around without worrying about how stupid or ridiculous you may look or sound (especially if they're with you acting just as ridiculous, haha) it's a great feeling. As this quote that you may recognize says, "Be a dork, because life's too short to be cool."