Acquired Tastes, One Way of Another

Up until the last year and a half or so, I used to think that I wasn't really affected by the media, by peers, or even by my own family. I used to think that I truly was an individual, that is, I thought that the things I did made me an individual. I was under this false perception until I started hearing a 'friend' talk about how much of individual she was. I remember hearing her even call herself an 'indie' kid. I was so mad when I heard her say this that I told her that real individuals don't subscribe to labels, and that anyone who says they are part of a group who tries to be different from everyone else is just like the rest of the group, and that doesn't make any one of them an individual (if that makes any sense.) She, of course, was insulted that I would question her sincerity and individuality, and said that I was just trying to put her down because I was in a bad mood and not as much of an individual as her, even though I knew more about everything she had been talking about earlier!!

I didn't tell her though, that her words were what made me think that I wasn't an individual either. I started thinking about the movies I like, the music I listen to, the way I dress, the food I eat, and the places I go. I knew at least one person, but usually many more than that, who liked exactly the same things I liked in each one of those categories. My friends, my family, my acquaintances, and even strangers, have influenced my tastes in some way, so to say that those things made me an individual would be a blatant lie. Just to give a few examples:
-Sparky Settles introduced me to Enter Shikari, which happens to be one of my favorite bands.
-Food-wise, my older brother Nick convinced me to go to my favorite restaurant, Tokyo.
-The first time I heard anyone talk about Pulp Fiction, one of my favorite movies ever, it was several years ago by my brother's friends.
-I once bought a t-shirt at a concert because I thought it was cool, since I'd already seen people who looked cool wearing it.

This of course, doesn't mean that I don't believe that there is no such thing as an indivudual. The simplest way I know to put it, would be to paraphrase a scene from the movie, Across the Universe - Most people, especially older people, think that what you do defines who you are, but the truth is that it doesn't matter what you do. The reality is that who you are defines what you do, and even then, it's not always about what you do, it's about how you do it. You have to find out who you really are before you can say you're an individual. Most of the time, it feels like I'm still trying to figure out who I am.

No Time

I don't have time for anything anymore. I dont even have time to sleep sometimes! I go to school, go to work, do homework, then try to find a few hours to sleep. It's ridiculous some times, since some teachers seem to think that their class is the only one that gives homework. Even after moving down to mostly Accel classes, there's still a lot of stuff I cant fit into my day. Oh well, I'm sure in the end it'll be worth it, and I guess I've started being more responsible.