Rebellion...reinvented
Posted by Ahmed Mustafa , Thursday, February 11, 2010 11:12 AM
You tell me where to go and
Though I might leave to find it
I'll never let your head hit the bed
Without my hand behind it
- John Mayer (your body is a wonderland)
A couple of months ago i was talking to this junior of mine and he asked me a question that put me in quite a quandry - "Ähmed bhai, is it ok if i were in a relationship that i knew wouldnt work, but i enjoyed it for the ride and the benefits that came with it?". At the time it was kind of heart wrenching to see a young kid in such a dillema - i mean, the standard cool thing to do would dictate that you go with the flow - the "wham bam thank you maam" ride but thats the whole thing - who dictates ure standards?
Think about it - what did we all want to do when we were younger? We wanted to be different. We wanted to be the crazy ones, the round pegs in the square holes. We wanted to stand out in the crowd - and be noticed. And thats where the anxiety of youth came from - the experiments with drugs and alchohol, the heavy metal music, the long hair, the weird experimental haircuts and facial hair, the tantrums - thats how it all added up.
But here's the thing that ive been noticing yet kept inside for so long until today. The world has changed. It isnt cool to do drugs anymore because thats the order of the day. It isnt cool to have earings and have spiky hair, because everyone has it. It isnt cool to go through numerous women without feeling guilty because everyone (well atleast the so called lucky ones) does it. Going to every freakin dance party on the circuit, going on a drinking binge is just so not cool anymore - cause everyone does it. To argue over the existence of God and your bouts with atheism are a thing of the past - because on average nobody really thinks about Him anymore. Disagreement and building barriers has been done over so many times, and by so many individuals, that ure social fabric is in tatters.
So then what pray tell is the new definition of a modern day rebel? If our upper and upper middle class is going to the dogs in terms of moral values, and if your one of them - it isnt technically cool because then ull just be part of the crowd.
History is repeating itself. The new age rebel is a gentleman - a modern day Clark Gable if you like (and in case ure wondering why i added the lyrics at the top...theres ure answer) He/She is someone who is closer to God than the average person. The rebel doesnt swear at everyone, hes just ure average joe, yet nicer. Hes clean cut and listens to every sort of music. Metallica isnt nearly as cool as John Mayer is now because Mayer although clean cut still has the unique accolade of Rolling Stones magazine pronouncing him as the guitar god of our times. People are tired of fighting - T=the age of people coming together for a common cause is at hand.
Now dont get me wrong here - im not telling you what to do, and how to live your life - but in case your wondering that ure Gods gift to humankind because you can start a barfight, throw a couple of punches and swear in front of women - your not. Its just-not-cool anymore.
In the end it just comes down to this. Will you be part of the crowd, or will you take the path less travelled on. Will you delude yourself into thinking its still cool to be hurtful - or will you change with the times and form your own definition of cool.
Its time to rebel folks - the only question is (and its quite ironic), but, do you have the balls to be nicer?
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