[Lush]

I think it's time to go into detail about my first post on this thread. It may just give you some perspective. Or it may just waste your time, though I'll try not to let that happen.

I wasn't one of the cool kids in high school. I had some good friends, and I did have too much fun from time to time, but I was mostly just a bookworm with a naughty sense of humour, proud of being a sexy, misunderstood outcast (or that's what I thought I was at the time).

My first year of college, however, I went a little nuts, and started going out to all the lame clubs in little dresses, and so on. One of my long-term friendships from high school ended at that time. I was accused of "selling out" by subscribing to a ridiculous notion of "cool."

Here is an interesting charge that was levelled at me at the time: "I bet you can't even tell your new buddies you read Tolkien. Nyah!"

It's strange, because about half of my "new buddies" had read Tolkien. And watched the movies. And counted themselves as fans. And partied and played sports and did all those other things that "cool kids" normally do. But they weren't "cool," they were just living their lives.

I learned that the pigeonholing that goes on in high schools loses all relevance if you can think bigger.

I also learned that even so-called geeks can be self-righteous about what they deem to be their superior lifestyle.

It was both funny and sad.

So, um, if people are calling you things because you read Tolkien, it's sad that they do that, and it's sad that you should care. You're better than that. *kiss kiss*

(I know, it's easy for me to say, I'm out of the hell of high school, but trust me on this one, it almost always gets more interesting afterwards)