Where Do I Belong?
McManus adroitly brings up our need for belonging by pointing out how our fashion trends have mirrored how we're thinking -- the labels of our clothes have moved from the inside to the outside. Izod, Penguin, Tommy Hilfiger, the list goes on. These brands and logos have found themselves on the outside of the clothes. That is funny to think about. We spend money not just to look good, but to fit in and join the crowd that wears x-brand.
One shirt company that advertised in our latest issue's "special advertorial section" pointed out how they've stopped branding their clothes. Each cool new design doesn't feature a logo/brand of their company any more. It just features cool art. They've weighed the benefits of brand recognition against the aesthetic of a nice work of art and found the art/design is more important. That's cool.
McManus talked about trying to fit into the cliques and groups in high school. He didn't see much future in dropping acid, so he decided against the freaks. He needed a higher GPA than a "D," so the geeks were out. Since his brother was the star quarterback, he didn't want to join the jocks (and be in the same group his brother ruled), he wasn't into the idea of vandals, he didn't want to be relegated to the nerds (a group one doesn't join but instead gets lumped into by the judgment of others), and he didn't want to be one of the invisibles. He points out that the rebels are just invisibles that don't want to be invisible.
He brings up the sometimes ridiculous ends we'll go to in order to belong. Some groups have rituals and hazing; athletic teams have "hell weeks" of training, and so on. Some people get tattoos of a certain design to fit in. Others wear a certain type of hat or shirt or shoe. Some people even get brands burned into their arms to show they belong. Ouch!
"We are all tribal," he says. Once more he's brought home the point that we were created for community. He uses his typewriter / word processor to make one final and symbolic statement. He purposely spaces out the words and "carriage returns" to emphasize isolation.
All of us know how cold it is outside.
It's almost unbearable out there.
Especially when we're there
alone,
isolated,
lonely.
You were never meant to be . . .
(leaves enough space so that the page runs out ... then in the middle of the next page there is just one word):
alone.
Well put.
Hey, I was reading another really cool magazine I like (it being Relevant) and saw an ad for Erwin McManus that talked about Crave a 3-dvd set of short films from the author. Sounds interesting. Website is soulcravings.com
loved this book. need to pick it up again. wish i could have gone to purple door this year
Posted by: adam at September 1, 2007 01:02 AM