Coolness quotient and People

Were you one of those people at high school who felt embarassed carrying their oversized strap-across water bottles? I was. I mean so what if its made in Sweden and keeps water cool for over 7 hours, I just found it perplexing. Not to mention my dad would come to the school, way inside the gate to pick me up, and that was like embarassment whammy.Its high school, Come on! And once school was out, I looked back and thought how silly I was and how I would never do stuff like that. But I thought too soon-- I was ready for college and this time, it was where I was from that was embarassing. Bangladesh. First of all its an obscure country and second of all the stuff you know about the country is all negative and bad stuff (mostly). Then I realized that I had to own a few pieces of clothing from Aeropostale and the Gap to appear 'normal'. I started joining social clubs on-campus, wearing hoodies,listening to hip hop and staying away from people who smell like curry.

But that was 9 years ago. Now I am married, and after you're married, coolness is measured in how many pieces of new Ikea furniture you own, how many cars you own, how much salmon you eat and how many trips to Costa Rica you take in a year. But do I feel the need for that? A part of me does but a part of me has also 'grown' a little since the last few years. These days I am just baffled with what defines coolness for my husband. He works in a office with very few married people ( I was going to add happily but I don't know that for sure). So what happens to a guy who just got married at work? He continues to act in the same way in fear of losing his position at the championship of cool. My hubby is a nice kid, but having said all that, he is also very much in love with his coolness quotient at work. And I am sure there are many married men out there who feel the same way--- to be able to discuss Sunday football,lame jokes and go-go girls all in one-breath while typing three reports. So when I call him at work, I can sense the queasy feeling in his voice, so I just keep it short and go about my day. Because hey, If I become the naggy types, I aint cool no more. So the cycle goes on.