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How to Survive Not Being Hip  By Lauren, Hipsterpad.com    |Email| From a very young age, I knew I was different. Instead of dabbling with makeup (which I did at one point, to disasterous results), I buried myself in my copy of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I didn't hang out at the mall, I watched the Sci-Fi Channel, when it actually (gasp) showed sci-fi. I have been involved in conversations over the years that discuss the fine and not-so-fine points of British comedy, non-mainstream comic books, various space operas. Needless to say, I didn't grow up with the faculties to seek out that which the world considers 'hip' and follow along with it. Which I'm typically fine with (I married a man who knows where his d20's are, even if he hasn't taken part in a campaign for years) a man who knew I was 'the one' when I understood the reference he made to a Monty Python movie when we first started talking. So, we're on equally nerdy footing, the two of us. It is with great certainty I can make the declaration that I am not hip That's fine with me. At times, I wonder if it's really worth the aggravation, not to mention the constant amount of work it takes, to keep up with being that which is known as 'hip'. Especially since 'hip' is usually determined by the environment. For instance, I work in an environment filled with guys who spend a lot of time talking about Fantasy sports. Fine, I don't judge (I was even lovingly antagonizing one of them by comparing Fantasy Football to Dungeons and Dragons; they have more in common than you might expect). But the problem with that sort of thing is, it's what everyone is doing, and when you don't do what everyone else is doing, it's hard to find an 'in' to relate to the group, and while it's perfectly okay to have your own interests, sometimes you get that little twinge in the back of your mind that says "this may be a problem". Why? Well, those of us that were groomed since high school to be professionals get told repeatedly that, like it or not, you have to fit in. You're told to wear certain colors to an interview. You're told to tip your soup bowl a certain direction at business lunches. You're told the rules on how to introduce one person to another. Hell, when I was graduating college, I was told by my mother that I was expected to wear a skirt to interviews. This was the year 2000, people. And you're expected to follow these rules to the letter And then, once you finally get the job, you need to be able to fit in with the group and be a team player. You need to fit on a personal level with the crew, or else you may appear cold or unapproachable, and therefore not a 'good fit' with your team. The lucky ones who aren't a 'good fit' may get shuffled around to various groups, but the unlucky ones may just get fired. Either way, you're facing rejection in a big way. So, it's really difficult to own up to the fact that I'm not like the others. It's actually pretty scary. But what do you do to cope with that? I can't speak for anyone else, but I do know that trying to be someone I'm not is not a viable strategy for me. It takes too much energy, for instance, to follow up on the latest in sporting events. Don't try to fit with everyone, but don't reject everyone outright. Sometimes you find that, even though you don't get to be relatable eight hours a day, that ten minutes relating to someone else will make a difference. Don't take it personally. Chances are, nobody's rejecting you on purpose. Keep smiling, but don't feel obligated. You don't owe it to anybody to be happy, just to meet them halfway. (Personally, I hate it when someone tells me to smile, but that's a whole different can of worms.) And remember, it's perfectly okay not to be hip. You don't need to be with the in-crowd to be happy, just your in-crowd. - Lauren - Sponsor This Post Currently 2.79/5 1 2 3 4 5 Rating: 2.8/5 (28 votes cast) Comments Glennisha Well Said! *Name: Email: Notify me about new comments on this page Hide my email *Text:

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