A$AP Rocky says, “I have gold teeth, I have braids, I'm wearing Rick Owens moon boots, I have rips in my denim, a biker vest, I love artsy girls, my favorite artists are Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon." He's obsessed with being different.
I would like to say that I have never been a typical Alamo Heights girl. For those of you who don’t know, Alamo Heights is a community in San Antonio that takes great pride in the 78209 zip code. It's also the community where I grew up.
Sure, in elementary school I sadly wore Abercrombie & Fitch, and I will admit that in the seventh grade I was a tad obsessed with Juicy Couture. But doesn’t everyone have those embarrassing years? Not to toot my own horn, but I never once wore Tory Burch flats in high school and never purchased Kendra Scott earrings. It’s not that I didn’t like them and it’s not that I belittled anyone who did wear them. They just weren’t my style. I wore the shirt that my friends deemed was something “only Brooke would wear” and I purchased the fringe purse that seemed almost a little too much, but it was me.
My dad has always referred to my style as “confu.” It’s a made-up word, but it has come to mean "confused". Personally, I wouldn’t say I am confused when picking my outfit for the day. I just like to wear flared jeans with colorful converse, a T-shirt and my all time favorite dangly earrings that I purchased from an Indian woman.
I never play the same genre of music, I love jazz and am an avid listener of Latino music and Cubanismo. But don’t get me wrong, I love Lord Huron and Fleetwood Mac. I watch Disney animated movies regularly and, instead of blasting music when I’m getting ready to go out for the night, I watch Wildest Indochina.
So I guess what I’m getting at is:
Life Lesson #4: Let you’re freak flag fly, because there isn’t enough time in this lifetime to hide behind a false image.
Growing up, I had never been a true Miley Cryus fan, but as I read articles bashing her latest fashion stunt or those criticizing her for the young homeless man she brought to the MTV Video Music Awards, I can’t help but admire her. Why can’t we all have the confidence she has? Maybe that doesn’t mean wearing ice cream nipple tassels, but, then again, what’s wrong with wearing something you like? After all, there’s only one person who truly has to like you. It's you. And sure the young man who accompanied her to the VMA’s was wanted by the police, but we all make mistakes.
So the next time you stare in the mirror deciding whether or not your outfit is absurd, remember that there’s only one person who has to like it and that’s you. The next time you’re nervous to announce an idea that seems a bit far-fetched and silly, just think, "Who cares?". Life is meant to be silly and wild, and everything in between.
Reach the columnist at brookesramos@yahoo.com or on Twitter @brookesramos.
