The Life And Times Of An Aging Hipster!

Let me start off with a direct quote from The Urban Dictionary: hipster Someone whose fear of being labeled a conformist and obsession with being different closely parallels the fear of being labeled different and obsession with being mainstream...the person whom the hipster so vehemently despises. A hipster will read this, realize it's true, and love it because it's ironic. taglines: dumb annoying shut up stuff (source; Urban Dictionary)

I've been this way for years. Maybe it's a result from my Asperger's, my penchant for useless information started as a kid. I was at a point that I was emotional about what I seen or believe.  I was different in a crowd, and I was the first one to point out a cultural trend. I know that the term "hipster" has been around for the past 70 years. I, however, think that I was "THE FIRST" hipster even back in grade school. For example, I dressed in layers since I was an early teenager. I mean I was raised by a single parent mom, so I didn't have the amenities of a typical teenager. Yet what I lacked in substance I made up in "style".  My "style" was a bit gaudy and tacky like wearing Sears Toughskins until I was in  high school! But in the 80's gaudy and tacky was the in thing, and even though my gaudiness and tackiness was not as gaudy and tacky as the in crowd. But I still let my  freak flag fly...made by Sears! Even my political views started out in my early years. When I was thirteen, in the Summer of 1980, I went to Camp NYABIC, a summer day camp that was mainly for children with learning disablities and other cognitive disorders. I guess I was the first hipster and Aspie to enter camp-- which I'm sure annoyed the counselors and fellow campers! But anyway, it was the Summer of 1980 which was an election year of course. I was asking the counselors who would they vote for either Reagan, Carter, or even the Independent John Anderson. The counselors were floored that I would ask that sort of question. Some would then turn the tables and ask me who I would vote for  even though I obviously could not vote. I would say that I would vote for Jimmy Carter (gimme a break, again I was 13 and I knew my opinion didn't mean a hill of beans). The reason why I would vote for Carter  was I was fearing "the nuclear war" and how "nukes" would destroy the world. I even protested nuclear energy and I was doing stuff for the environment. Again, I was on the brink of puberty and here I was at what was known as "the retard camp" spouting politics! The counselors liked me since these were mainly college students with summer jobs, meanwhile the kids have a love/ hate relationship with me. Here I am talking big, and also I was not into the same music the other campers were into. The campers were into KISS or light puffy stuff like Olivia Newton John. I was listening to Pink Floyd and The Who  with the counselors,because I knew where the "future" was. When I went back to camp two years later, I was bashing Reagan and I discovered MTV... some of the campers got wise and actually followed my trend (yet most I admit did like Reagan and did not want to do the Reagan bashing thing). But here I am, in my early teens, and I feel like I was onto something. This carried on into high school in which I got transferred to a high school overrun by Preps.  Preps were the Reaganite/ Izod wearing status quo that pretty much put a stranglehold across the country. I started to layer my Sears ensemble and did my "hippie idealist" thing. The Preps and  and I never got along. I did my thing, often alone, and they had their little "Men Without Hats" dance parties and worship the almighty Reagan God as they drank the  blood of newly slain welfare babies (at least that's what I thought as an angry teenager). But being the angry teenager sparked off my Hipsterdom. All the "cool" kids listened to "Born In The USA" era Springsteen or Madonna or the MTV "flavor of the month". Me, I discovered REM, The Replacements, and the jangly alternative stuff that was speaking about my differences and problems. One band stuck out with one song for me... and that was DEVO's "Through Being Cool". Screw being "normal", and the ones that were invited to the party can go fuck themselves and they drown by chugging the blood at the altar of the Reagan God! I started my own party, however more times than often, I was the only one-- at least that's what I thought. There were very few of those who were in the same boat that I was in.  I always felt that my identity as someone who was countercultural and antiestablishment had no place in the world. I was alone, or at least that's how I felt. Then enter three events; the beginning of grunge music, 9/11, and the Great Recession. When Kurt opened with "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Eddie followed with "Alive", my generation had a voice. I was wearing flannel long before the grunge craze. I was ironic wayy before Alanis Morrissette even thought about the song (and btw; the song's not really ironic, don't ya think?). But the 90's paved the way for people like me to come out of the woodwork!  We became the trendsetters for once. We, the outcasts, became the judge of what was cool! We were the first to call out everything. We were the first to find things that was cool like Crocs (even though I don't wear them) and Pabst Blue Ribbon (even though I don't drink it often, too watery and tinny; don't like drinking out of cans). I do wear khakis and skinny jeans-- I tend to wear more earth colors. I can quote George Carlin who I think was the first modern era hipster. I'm into wine, even tho I like a good Michelob Light or Genny Cream Ale when I have the opportunity. I write as you can see. I did poetry slams in the 90's. And I was one of the first that said that the Twilight series is not cool. I also said that Lord Of The Rings was going to be the Star Wars of the time. We were the first to listen to Radiohead. The ball is in OUR court now, and it feels good! Yet, we're still on the outside looking in. We are still the butt of jokes. The Reagan God worshipers are now the Fratters and Right Wingers who tease us often. We are betrayed sometimes negatively on You Tube videos and various shows on TV. We're still bums... even lowlives...but we're still here! I am now at an age that is not considered "cool". I'll be 45 this June and there are quite a few who are older than me. Yet, your main group of Hipsters nowadays are in their late 20's to early 30's. So I am now out of the loop again of something that I believe I help started. But it's not a total loss, we're still around and we can pass the torch to our younger brethren or in this case the torch that we pass is often a can of PBR or a glass of Merlot!