Proud of embarrassments

I am not sure if everybody has this dilemma, but I have it all the time: To be a part of the stereotype or not. Though, it sounds cool that you are not a stereotype and different from the rest, being a stereotype is so easy and convenient that it is hard to not get sucked into it. And of course, you do not have to be non-stereotype for everything because that is a class of stereotypes in itself. I think the right way to do go about is to do what you like. Here I list down few things I really like but is against what a stereotypical guy of 27 should like:

1) I love going to beaches. Of course, going with your girlfriend will be cool, or more fun, but I equally love to go on my own as well. It may be considered uncool but I love it so much that I do not care. Every summer, since the last 3 years, Cape Cod beaches call me. I just love the variety there. The big beaches, the small ones, the crowded ones, the lonely ones, the sandy ones, the grainy ones: they have it all there. I am so looking forward to this summer’s trip.

2) Pride and Prejudice is my favorite book of all times. This is funny because till like some 2 years back, I really thought that proves how classy and well read I am, but then somebody said it’s a girl book. I mean come on, who cannot fall in love with Elizabeth Bennet? The inconsequential storyline is what attracts me towards Jane Austen’s books. You do not read a Jane Austen’s book for the sake of story. On face value, it does look girly: Emma is a girl who thinks she is a matchmaker. Pride and Prejudice is a love story where girl meets guy, have some fights and live happily ever after. But if that is one really gets out of the books, it’s a pity. It’s the lazy pace, the nothing dramatic happening all the time is what gives you time to look into other aspects. I think nobody explains women better than Jane does.

3) Harry Potter is my second favorite book and Ron is my favorite character. Well, I guess I am not really isolated here because the world is almost divided into 50-50 on Harry Potter. What I do not like about the stereotypes is when they consider HP as a children’s book or a magic book. Magic is just a tool in the book, a rather inconsequential thing I must say. Ron is my favorite character because he lacks the obvious characters of a hero. It’s precisely the reason that he is neither famous/brave like Harry or intelligent as Hermione, or funny like Weasley twins, weirdo like Luna or know-all like Dumbledore that I like Ron. I feel it’s very difficult to really stay a good friend of successful and famous. I had great difficulties in showing my excitement even when my best friends beat me in something but Ron does it so effortlessly. Though he faltered once, his genuine honesty and love for his friends is something I value very highly.

4) I am really proud of my blood unrelated sisters/ Munhboli behenein (I hate the term Rakhi sister because it is so grossly misused). I have 5-6 of really good munhboli bahans. Rakhi for me is just an annual ritual that like any other celebration is an occasion for get together or exchange calls/gifts. I really do not think that every girl that ever tied me a rakhi is my sister. Attaching so much importance to a string seems foolish to me. Rakhi is a result of a mutual feeling of brotherhood and sisterhood and not the other way round. The worst case is when people become brothers and sisters when the love just didn’t take off. Why can they not leave it at that? What is the need to create another relationship thereby trivializing it?