pop·u·lar adj. - regarded with great favor, approval, or affection especially by the general public.
I have been left out of a group at work recently. When I realized that I was left out, I thought to myself, 'Here I am once again, not part of the popular crowd.'
Of my 12 years in school, I only spent one year as part of the popular clique... the cool kids. That was 1986, and I held on to my popularity as tightly as I could. The following year, my stock plummeted and I was virtually friendless. So from then on, I was desperate to be popular again, though it was always elusive.
Flash forward to the present. I am sitting at my desk wondering why some people avoid talking to me; why I am not asked for my opinion; why are they going to lunch without me. Why am I still not popular?
Then it occurred to me... why do I assume that any group that I am not a part of, but want to be a part of is THE popular group? Who determined that? Apparently I determined that some time ago. Granted, people generally want to be included, but do I really see myself as less popular because I am not in a particular group? I would conclude that I was less popular if no one talked to me, but that's not the case. There are people at work with whom I enjoy chatting very much, and it seems they enjoy chatting with me, as they don't run the other direction when they see me coming. So really, who's popular here? Does it really matter?
This also got me to thinking about my high school friends. I didn't view myself as part of the popular crowd in high school, but again... who determined that we weren't? I don't arbitrarily hang out with people. I have standards... I mean, I have to enjoy a person's company. Humor, sincerity, loyalty, compassion... those are the types of people I want to be around. Those are the people I regard with great favor. So how can they not be popular? They were popular with someone. They were popular with me. So, logically, I would be popular to the people that want to be around me.
So it turns out, I am popular! Ha!
I have been left out of a group at work recently. When I realized that I was left out, I thought to myself, 'Here I am once again, not part of the popular crowd.'
Of my 12 years in school, I only spent one year as part of the popular clique... the cool kids. That was 1986, and I held on to my popularity as tightly as I could. The following year, my stock plummeted and I was virtually friendless. So from then on, I was desperate to be popular again, though it was always elusive.
Flash forward to the present. I am sitting at my desk wondering why some people avoid talking to me; why I am not asked for my opinion; why are they going to lunch without me. Why am I still not popular?
Then it occurred to me... why do I assume that any group that I am not a part of, but want to be a part of is THE popular group? Who determined that? Apparently I determined that some time ago. Granted, people generally want to be included, but do I really see myself as less popular because I am not in a particular group? I would conclude that I was less popular if no one talked to me, but that's not the case. There are people at work with whom I enjoy chatting very much, and it seems they enjoy chatting with me, as they don't run the other direction when they see me coming. So really, who's popular here? Does it really matter?
This also got me to thinking about my high school friends. I didn't view myself as part of the popular crowd in high school, but again... who determined that we weren't? I don't arbitrarily hang out with people. I have standards... I mean, I have to enjoy a person's company. Humor, sincerity, loyalty, compassion... those are the types of people I want to be around. Those are the people I regard with great favor. So how can they not be popular? They were popular with someone. They were popular with me. So, logically, I would be popular to the people that want to be around me.
So it turns out, I am popular! Ha!
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