“Being yourself” no longer holds positive connotations for the average American teenager; as of late, an influx of adolescents is choosing to, quite literally, change their identities.
Exemplifying such insecurities is the absurd case of a 17-year-old boy from Schenectady, New York. On Jan. 29, he entered school disguised as, not the baggy-pantsed, shaggy-haired adolescent male one might expect, but a girl.
Apparently, he thought dressing up as a person of the opposite sex makes one exempt from the consequences that follow cheating on an exam; police quickly proved him wrong.
The proctor for the comprehensive Regents Examination noticed something was out of place, but it was not until he compared the name on the exam to the face bubbling in answers that he realized something serious was amiss. Police charged him “with burglary for entering the school to commit a crime (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28917649/).”
Similarly shocking is the story of a Chicago adolescent boy whose interest in police work backfired dramatically on him. Donned in nearly-complete police wear, he entered a police station on Jan. 25, and fooled “fellow” police officers into putting him on duty with another officer. Not until the boy’s patrol was finished did anyone notice that the boy missing both a gun and part of the regulation uniform. (http://www.aol.in/news-story/Boy-14-dupes-police-patrols-Chicago-for-5-hours/2009012521210001450731).
It is not the stupidity of these young men that disgusts me; rather, I commend them on their clever ruses and remarkable abilities to fool even those trained to seek out imposters. Nor do I denounce the immoral aspects of their behaviors, because the ingenuity they displayed was well worth any detrimental consequences.
In no way do I reprimand or frown upon the two identity-confused adolescents; instead, I pity them.
It takes an inexorable amount of courage to commit such embarrassment-ridden acts. The young men who committed them were clearly desperate, seeking refuge from their own lives.
They may claim that their masquerades were for academic or professional purposes, but there was surely a deeper reason.
Perhaps they were escaping from a failing grade or death of a beloved pet. They may have been suffering from some rare, incurable psychological disorder, which causes them to spontaneously impersonate their ideal self. Maybe (and this is, by far, the most frightening possibility of all) they were simply bored with everyday, uneventful life.
Not that being bored with life is at all unusual; it is the looming possibility that such extreme distaste for life can overcome the most unsuspecting people.
There are countless Middletown High School students who spend the entirety of their schooldays doodling absentmindedly and staring into space. These pastimes are not only detrimental to their academic success, but, as of late, put them at high risk for a serious boredom attack.
It can strike at any time. Someone may be brushing her teeth, suffering through a tricky math problem, or heading to track practice when, completely out of the blue, she is struck with the overwhelming urge to impersonate her grandfather, a brain surgeon, or Charlie Brown.
The poor, unsuspecting young victims who were overcome by this disorder are only the start of what may become a worldwide epidemic.
Although the warnings may be difficult to detect, everyone should follow precautions in order to defend himself against this harrowing plague.
Most obvious of these protections involves simply staying alert and interested in even the most mundane everyday tasks. Yes, this means becoming “active learners” and “applying oneself” in school. Indeed, it may be a drag to peel one’s eyes open from a much needed in-class nap; turning attention away from the beauty of the untamed, inaccessible outdoors to that of an equally tired teacher is not easy. These behaviors are necessary, however, to trick one’s body into thinking life is entertaining and worth living the way it is, as opposed to taking up that of another.
A more abstract, equally important, tactic entails liking oneself. The two young men were vulnerable to an attack, not only because they were sucked into the tedium of day-to-day life, but because they were did not have the confidence to remain satisfied with themselves.
The harrowing tale very well may have its unexpected benefits; hopefully, the story of these two young men will open people’s eyes to the havoc such insecurities wreak.
For those reading this, beware. Whether it means paying more attention in class or therapy to improve your self-confidence, taking extra precautions in this time of peril is crucial; you never know when you might wake up with the urge to dress up like your grandmother.