The things we did in 2013 that are now cool again
By Lauren Looney
Photo Credits of The Guardian
One thing that seems to be keeping a lot of people sane through the pandemic is rediscovering our secret middle school hobbies and interests. Even if we won’t admit it, everyone has had a guilty pleasure that they indulged — or indulge — in. Whether it be a book, TV show, band, or hobby, it was something that you obsessed over but kept secret in fear of it not being cool enough for your 12-year-old classmates. Now that most of us are in our late teens or early 20s and are stuck inside, we are slowly revisiting our childhood hobbies and random interests that we had as middle schoolers. The best part is discovering that no one cares whether it's cool or not; in fact, many “uncool” things from the early 2010s are now extremely popular.
Photo Credits of Makeupview.co
Photo Credits of Barnes and Noble
I was never the “cool girl” in middle school or high school, and frankly am probably not now. But I won’t lie — I have been feeling pretty damn cool accepting the things I once loved as a kid and exploring how they fit into my now adult life. When I was in middle school, dystopian novels were essentially the biggest and best thing that had ever happened to us. The drama of these sexually charged, futuristic worlds was just too good for our raging, hormonal pre-teen selves. I was engulfed in The Hunger Games, Maze Runner, and Divergent, and read them each multiple times. However, I never really went further than those series in the genre. Looking back on that now, it's pretty sad that I just went with what was mainstream and didn’t pursue more of what I liked to read.
Recently, my best friend introduced me to a series about a fairy land called The Wicked King. Yes, it's about fairies, and yes, it's sexy, and yes, it involves people with tails, but I have never read a series faster. I probably would have loved this when I was younger, and I am grateful that I now get to experience this joy of not only reading, but reading books that would have been awesome to my 13-year-old self. At first, I will admit that I felt embarrassed to be reading a fairy love story on the train as a fully grown adult but honestly, who cares? There is nothing wrong with being your authentic self — even if it means reading novels for 13 year olds. Since discovering The Wicked King, I have made frequent trips to Barnes and Noble, prowling the fantasy section for the next books in the series.
I have also been dressing in a way that would make my middle school self think “now that's a cool girl” if I passed her in the street. I know that a lot of people on TikTok have also been exploring their fashion sense, and I really have never felt more liberated. I’ve been experimenting with hairstyles, patterns, silhouettes, and kitschy colors. Not only am I trying to impress my middle school self, but in these times where the days are long and boring, I am making myself interesting to myself. That is really what this is all about — doing the things that you want to do even if they aren't the most popular or accepted. They are fun to you and that is all that really matters.
I also asked my Instagram followers about things they used to be ashamed of but now proudly like. Here is a comprehensive list:
One Direction
Dress-up games
Teen Barbies
Having boobs
Colorful makeup and clothes
Owl City
Glitter
Reading
Nintendo
Masturbating
Crackle nail polish
Fanfiction
Hot pink glitter sneakers
Boys
Girls
American Girl Dolls
Having red hair
Hannah Montana
Miley Cyrus
The color pink
Pokémon
Not wearing a bra
What I have learned during my time in quarantine is that life is what you make of it, and everyone should do what they want to do. Go and read that fairy fanfic book in your pajamas at 8 p.m. on a Friday or make Rainbow Loom bracelets with your roommates — after all, we are in a pandemic. Do what you need to do to regain your happiness in a time where there isn’t much we can do to make ourselves happy. And don’t forget to be proud of it.
