I’ve always been different. I’ve dressed differently, listened to different types of music and thought differently. Being different isn’t something that is popular in The Bronx. “You from the ‘hood, son, you can’t be goin’ around actin’ like you smart and be listenin’ to them white people’s music, yo.” If someone from my neighborhood were to talk to me about myself, they would say something to that effect.

It seems to me that most people behave the way they do because they feel that where they’re from should dictate who they become. I’m a firm believer in being who you really are, not acting a certain way just because something or someone says you should (unless it’s for your own good, of course). I make a conscious effort to stand out. I love walking down the street with Chevelle or Green Day blasting from my iPo’s earbuds. It makes me feel different. I’m not walking to the bodega on the corner with 50 Cent or Jay-Z coming out of my iPod.

My being different stems from my parents. Most people are what they grew up around. I grew up listening to Billy Joel, U2 and Luther Vandross. My parents encouraged me to do well in school and to not get mixed up with the wrong people. Then, they sent me on my way.

While my peers were talking about the newest game system, I was devouring books. In middle school, I was reading at a high school level. Because I was one of the “smart kids” we all got bunched together and that was our clique. The way I dressed, talked, and the type of music I listened to set me aside.

To sound like one of those politicians, the media is a huge influence on my peers. I know this because I know when I saw those iPod commercials, I felt like I needed to buy one (and of course, I did). The rap videos convince the guys they need an Escalade filled with girls in g-strings, Courvoisier, and bling. They convince the girls that they need look like the girls in the g-strings. All in all, they convince everyone that all they need is a hit song, or to be able to bounce a ball well, not getting a secure job or going to school.

Since my younger years, my parents instilled in me that my schoolwork should be my primary concern. They made sure that as soon as I got home, my homework was done and I was on track for the next day. Now that I’m older, that quality is still within me, and I do well. In fact, I do better than most kids in my school. Not conforming by way of doing what I need to do to succeed in the future is obviously very beneficial. A lot of the students in my school don’t seem to care. They cut class, hang out in the halls or hide out in the bathroom and if they do go to class, they fool around.

Of course, being a non-conformist is not all about listening to a different kind of music or leaving your classmates in the dust, but about really being yourself and standing up for what you believe in. That annoying thing that your parents always say, “If your friend were to jump off a bridge, would you do that too?” It actually holds some truth. Following trends makes you exactly what the phrase says: a follower.