Trends

  I wanted to fit in so badly in middle school and high school, but there was never money for the trendy clothes the 'cool' kids were wearing. I saved my babysitting money to buy a pair of white canvas Nikes with the trademark light blue swoops on the sides. I assumed these overpriced shoes would announce to my cynical peers that I had arrived.
  No one looked at my feet. They had no reason to because they wore the same brand of shoes.
  I still felt an overwhelming need to be accepted by the cool crowd. White canvas is hard to keep clean. Every weekend I scrubbed the Nikes with bleach and an old toothbrush so they always looked new.
  Still, no one looked at my feet. I hadn't arrived. I had sacrificed my uniqueness on the cold, impersonal altar of conformity.
  I outgrew the shoes around the same time I started to feel less concerned about fitting in. I realized I didn't need special shoes to impress the elitists who didn't accept me even when I met their dress standards.
  My first pair of tennis shoes in college came from Kmart and cost a whopping $5.00. I painted multicolor polka dots on them and wore them with pride.
  People looked at my feet and smiled.
  I didn't care if the smiles were from admiration or scorn because I wasn't trying to impress anyone. I wasn't trying to fit in or be accepted by those who assumed to set the dress standards. I became a trend-setter simply by standing on my own two polka-dotted feet.