Kool Kid Syndrome

Aahh those good old school days huh!? Or not so good for some of us maybe. I think many of us must have suffered from all sorts of syndromes, ranging from the shyness syndrome, ultra-talkative syndrome, bookworm syndrome, I-can’t-be-asked syndrome or the cool kid syndrome.

Thinking back, just today I recalled a habit of mine back in my secondary school days. It then made me realise that I definitely suffered from the Kool Kid Syndrome (KKS). Yep, I just made that up today, but don’t get me wrong, it was real! Although there are many types of ‘cool’ and nowadays this may involve social media, and the not-so-legal activities, I was an innocent Kool Kid. Nevertheless, ended up being a clown perhaps, but still a phenomenon.. Let’s see if you identify with any of these super cool ideas I came up with, using my observation skills, examining magazines and other school kids.

Oh by the way- as you’ll see, I was pretty clueless about how to be cool, but hey at least I tried!

The Kool Kid Syndrome

1. Go against the school uniform norm at the earliest.

In my case, at the age of 9, I had my first taste of self-confidence. I shamelessly turned up to school in baggy pants and white shirt, instead of the normal school dress. Throughout the year, I took great pride in being the only girl to not wear the dress. (I always disliked wearing dresses). For me, it seemed that being cool only meant not being like others and wearing comfortable clothes.

2. Break the rules. 

During my quest to be cool, I decided to break the uniform rules in secondary school too. However, being a catholic school, this didn’t go down too well. I got sent to the principal’s office for breaking the school uniform rules. But I had no regret at all. Would that end my Kool Kid Syndrome? Of course not!

3. Normal socks? Na!

If I couldn’t break the rules, then I made my own rules to be cool! I had to wear the uniform? Fine! Watch me! So I decided to pay attention to the things which were in my control.
As everyone would be wearing the standard mid calf socks, this Kool Kid would make sure her socks were not seen at any cost. Low ankle socks were cool and you’d never catch me wearing mid calf socks. I clearly thought I was acing this coolness mission (but to be honest, I was failing miserably).

4. The hair.

As part of my journey to be cool, I was so over-confident about getting a super-cool haircut that I ended up with a disastrous look. It was all fine until one day even my teacher made fun of my failed haircut. #NoComments

5. No books, please!

A couple of years into secondary school, my little brain started to grasp this idea of being cool a bit better. Cool kids did not bring heavy bags to school (in my ignorant opinion). The backpack had to be light and low, carried on one shoulder. Cool, ya know?!

So, I shamelessly left all my big books at home and shared my best friend’s textbook in every lesson. Unless the books were small and light. So mean, right? Yup! You gotta do what you gotta do to be cool!

6. Water bottle in hand.

An empty bag, worn in the coolest fashion, cool socks, a super laid back walk, I was all set to be the coolest kid on the block! But, it wouldn’t be complete unless i held my water bottle in my hand. Storing that bottle in the bag was just too uncool in my little-14-year-old opinion. I had to hold it in my hand as I made my way to and back from school. Oh yeah! 

This post really sums up that ignorance is bliss and although it seems quite silly, I think there is great wisdom to gain from our little foolish acts as kids and teens. All that we are faced with, really serve as a way for us to find ourselves, to gently forge a personality for our future self. And if we look back and identify some of our tendencies back in the day, we may very well realise that these are still deeply ingrained in us. Whether that’s the tendency to hide away and be shy, or to be cool, to be the smartest or even to be popular. It really is a beautiful life and our silly moments make it even more beautiful.

You would have figured out by now how cool I really was back in school. Yup, that’s right, I was not that cool not at all. But, if you found this post fun, I may share the remaining signs of the Kool Kid Syndrome which I faced back in the day. Because trust me, there’s more to my KKS and it gets even sillier!

Now, it’s your turn! Don’t shy away. Were you too cool for school? Tell me about your cool or not-so-cool adventures.

(PS: Thanks to Meera who gave me the genius idea to write about KKS)

PC