Billy Rushmore Media LLC

I was recently scrolling through one of those short video apps. You know, wasting time when I should have been doing something else actually productive. Anyway, part of a One Direction song was the last one I watched. I thought, “I never really liked them, but this song’s message, or at least this part of the song, is quite great!” Then I caught myself, and thought, is that actually the case? The part about not liking One Direction, I mean. This made me think of Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync, and how I did like them when I was younger, but I never felt “safe” admitting that I actually liked them. It was only really later in high school, singing “Incomplete” by Backstreet Boys (a song about one of the band member’s close relationship with his mom, actually) with a friend in Carl’s Jr, albeit in a somewhat joking fashion, and in my early 20s when I finally felt “safe” saying to my friends and other people that I liked listening to Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync, and Backstreet Boys more so. Thinking back, this is funny and ridiculous – allowing other people’s possible opinion of me and the music I liked to limit me expressing myself in a positive way. Which leads me to say:

Just be yourself – you’ll have more fun and the people around you will appreciate you for the smiles you put on your face and theirs. I know I had more laughter, smiles, and fun when I expressed my true music interests. You can do it! Take that step!