Pretentiousness in the west

Style, fashion, social hierarchy; these are things that, although I try to avoid, are abundant when living in the west. Even in a chilled-out, mile-high state (#potpunintended) like Colorado, pretension around said issues can leave people in different groups, regardless of what other shining qualities a person has to offer. Socioeconomic Status (SES), a term abused by undergraduate political science students, best describes a person’s power and potential within a society. It brings in the sad reality that maybe your parents telling you,” You can be anything you want to be,” is a big load of bull. But maybe I’m just cynical. This, though, is why I choose to travel.

What I love about traveling is the idea of a blank slate. No one knows you, no one really cares about who you are at home, and because you will inevitably crave some attention from other westerners and travelers, you have a small social group to choose from. While some may see it as slim pickings, having shed social layers and metaphorically cut the bullshit, those meeting one another get right to the juicy stuff. No time for subtleties or social norms, conversations come quick and meaningfully.

While the feeling of disrobing all the hierarchical crap is enlightening, it does make a reemergence in the western world difficult. Having just stepped foot on the Australian continent, I’m reminded that attire, hygiene and appearance are the first things one notices about you. The loose fitting clothes I wore yesterday (and most likely the day before) stand out like my white skin in Southeast Asia, except instead of garnering attention, I receive confused stares or avoidance. The idea of living beyond social make-up becoming a reality definitely wanes when returning to the west.

Though there are those who are able to live on the fringe of society and thrive in it, I realize I’m susceptible to many of the social pressures of the western world. Though it is an uphill battle, the lessons I learn each time I leave the west is definitely not in vain. My actions, with each day, are becoming more seated in my spectrum, rather than that of the society I live in.

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