I remember in middle school and high school having writing assignments, poems, I think they were, that consisted of sentences of the following structure: "Just because I'm _____ doesn't mean _____." I never really took it that seriously at the time, but I found myself recently thinking something of the "I'm a _____, I can't _____" fashion: "I'm a metalhead, I can't possibly have a successful career."
Being a part of the scene, I know just as well as anyone that metalheads come in all shapes and sizes, with all sorts of different personalities, views, and interests. But for some reason when it came time for job interviews and people asking me what my interests and hobbies were, I hesitated to mention anything related to metal, even though some of my greatest and most ambitious accomplishments have been related to metal. I was scared that, after finding out that this quiet and sweet looking girl listened to metal they would freak out, thinking that there was a different me under the surface that I was hiding. And in addition, I am fully aware of the stereotype that metalheads either work at bars or record stores and aren't good for much else. So usually I end up just avoiding the subject altogether, and end up looking like a boring personalityless person. But that's not the impression I want to leave, so I can't help but wonder, is it possible for a metalhead to overcome those stereotypes and have a successful career?
After a long conversation with Matt he told me that it is our job to break that stereotype and that I shouldn't feel limited in what kind of job I can get just because I listen to a certain type of music. And he's right, you know? It's just a different style of music that isn't very popular, but in the end all it says about me is what my taste in music is, really. But I think it'll still be a while before I stop hesitating to bring up the subject of my liking metal around people I'm trying to impress..
Thoughts?
2 comments:
Hello! You have an interesting website. It is nice to visit here.
Matt is absolutely right!!!
YOU define who you are, not the labels applied to you by our culture (or yourself).
Give people the chance to see that metal heads can be sweet girls with big hearts. You're only like the best kind of Metal Head ever!
P.S. While we're on the subject of Metal... I decided a few weeks ago if we both end up living in Utah, I'm making sure my kids spend time with you for the hopeful influence of metal in their lives. haha
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