Cooler Than Cool

What makes a person”cool”? It usually isn’t just one thing about someone, but a whole medley of things.

And yet, you can still pick out “cool” people pretty easily. Leather jackets and Ray Bans have always been a staple of the “cool” population, for example. And you might as well have a “cool” sign blinking on your forehead if you have any type of piercing not in your ears or if your hair is a different color than the normal red, brown, black, or blonde.

But do you know what I’ve found to be most true about “cool” people? It’s that they are pretty aptly named. (I know, groundbreaking.)

Because if you know a “cool” person, then you know a standoffish person. A person who is afraid to go out in public when not looking or acting their best. A person who can freeze you out with a look. A person who has perfected one way of thinking while looking down on others. “Cool” people can quite literally be too “cool,” at times. And sometimes, that can be downright cold.

Because “cool” people spend their entire existence pretending not to care. They’re all like, hey man, that’s totally cool that your sister had her baby and named it after me. Catch you on the flip side. 

Okay, okay. “Cool” people don’t say “the flip side.” (I know this because I’ve never been a “cool” person, and I say things like “on the flip side.”) But then again, I’ve never wanted to be “cool.” Who doesn’t want to be excited about things and have to act like they aren’t interested? I don’t want to give anyone the cold shoulder; I’d rather wear my feelings on my sleeve.

And so, I’ll never be cool. But maybe, you shouldn’t be either. Because really, isn’t “cool” just the opposite of warm? And everyone loves a warm person, even if we are, truly uncool.