As long as I can remember I’ve always been motivated by twin needs: Being distinct and different on my own terms and being the leading edge. Just belonging or following was never my thing even before I could think about what that meant. In middle school, with my old childhood bestie Kelechi, I forged a weird hybrid image of a scientist cum adventurer. We mixed random chemicals in our homes (don’t do this at home kids) to make novel concoctions, formed a bike riding gang which I ruled with what to my kid’s eye was an iron fist, ventured miles from home and did dangerous high wire crossings of the local stream, jumped off 2nd story buildings under construction into piles of sand below; among other stupid kid stuff. Even now when I tell my mum all the thing that we did, her hair stands on end; she never knew about these shenanigans. Helicopter parenting was not an option in middle class Enugu, where I grew up and we went and came as we pleased – the original free range children.
I only learned the value of following later when I encountered even more Alpha personalities I could collaborate with either as a leader, equals or a follower.
But even now, my inner nature asserts itself and won’t let me join certain band wagons. For example, I look with disdain on the ihorde – I honestly don’t understand how it’s appealing to have the same device as everyone else and with limited customizability to boot. This is an emotional reaction because I own an iPad for many practical reasons, and used to own an iPhone. I suspect that I have a blind spot for luxury items that quite a few million people use but are marketed as exclusives and status symbols. Hopefully as I become able to afford more stuff, I can still maintain a penchant for the off beaten road and its rewards.
Still I won’t be caught dead using Beats by Dre headphones. That just too much joining for me.
