Trying To Be Your Own Cool

There's a new pop song blaring across the radio waves. 

I always wonder, who decides which songs are the "good" songs?

Is there some GOD-like radio being who points his or her finger at cassingles and declares "this is THE one for the month!"

Cassingle. 

Remember those?

A cassette single of a catchy "it" song that you could play over and over and over until you had all of the words memorized and could then sing along flawlessly to over and over and over. 

Now you can buy a song single on your phone and play it over and over and over. 

And annoy your husband. 

Because he "doesn't want to hear Gypsy by Lady Gaga anymore today thank you!!!!"

Geesh. 

So, the song that keeps blaring out of my car speakers this week is called Cool Kids. 

I think. 

But I'm not exactly sure. 

But that's all they sing about. 

Over and over and over. 

Lyrics that don't extend beyond this...

I wish that I could be like the cool kids. 

Cause all the cool kids, they seem to fit in.

Is there a message that I'm missing?

And if there is, am I just not cool enough to hear it?

It's got a catchy beat and I found myself humming it today at lunch. 

And I felt all dirty inside.

Because I hate it when songs like this become popular. 

And the kids all start singing it. 

And judging each other some more. 

Because they will do these things. 

They will start looking around to see who is cool and who is not cool. 

All because of a song. 

What makes a kid cool?

What in the hell does cool even mean anymore?

I'm still stuck in 1987 and I try to be hip, but my kids often roll their eyes at me. 

But, I do try to saturate their little minds with my ideas of fabulousness. 

I've told my daughters that the cool kids are the ones that stand up to bullies and defend those that can't defend themselves. 

Cool kids are respectable to adults and say hi to the students at school that sit by themselves at lunch. 

Cool kids say thank you and don't laugh when someone falls in the hallway. 

Cool kids aren't always the kids who play every sport and are first chair trumpet in band and student council secretary. 

Cool kids can be the artist who draws amazingly realistic dinosaurs. 

Cool kids can be the girl who gets the highest level of points every month for reading the most books. 

Cool kids are everywhere. 

Look around. 

Popular doesn't equate to cool in my house. 

And I try to share that with my girls. 

I always stress to them that "fitting in" isn't all that great. 

It's actually kind of boring. 

Be yourself. 

Dress how you want. 

Speak your own unique thoughts. 

Do your own thing always and forever. 

Because if you can't love yourself, how in the hell are you gonna love somebody else?

RuPaul said those words. 

And I don't know anyone cooler than a drag queen with a wise and loving soul.