My Guilty Pleasure: It’s For Me, Not For You

Abstract

Alexander reflects on his emotional journey towards talking about his true interests, due to a fear of judgment from others. He discusses his love for rock music from the eighties, describing how it makes him feel while listening to it and how it brings him pleasure. He explains the trade-offs that he encountered growing up, how he chose to embrace his ‘secretive’ interests that impacted his social relationships with his friends, in terms of ‘popularity’ or ‘coolness’ a teenager should conform to. Finally, these interests became valuable and solidified contributing to a realization that it is acceptable to have different interests that are not contemporary, which should be promoted to ensure personal happiness. This piece aims to inspire other folks who may feel afraid to truly embrace their interest and discuss them amongst their peers or with strangers.