Growing up, you knew there was something different about you. Something subtle set you apart from other childhood friends. Maybe it was your ability to recognize style and substance while your friends were busy playing with rubber cement. The ability to understand the importance of good lighting, not just for setting a mood, but to accent your excellent taste of clothes just came naturally.
You, my friend, are a metrosexual.
For those not familiar with the 2003 buzzword, a metrosexual, as defined by an article in Thursday's Indianapolis Star, is "an urban male with a strong aesthetic sense, who spends a great deal of time and money on his appearance and lifestyle."
Similar to coming out as openly gay, those guys who choose to come out as metrosexual often go through the same stages of the coming-out process. Coming to terms with one's metrosexuality is a major step in life, and wrestling with the issue in college can help build a strong network of supportive friends. Plus, it can help pick up metrosexual-loving females (or one Mr. Kevin Cobb and his single gay friends).
Self-recognition as a metrosexual is the first step in the coming-out process. Admitting to yourself that you may be, in fact, a metrosexual is just one of the hurdles you'll be facing. Perhaps you've been on the BSU campus and spotted a possible other metrosexual and said quietly to yourself, "I wonder how he gets his hair to look like that." Or, perhaps, you uttered, "Damn, that must be good exfoliant. I need some." At night, you secretly spend time plucking your eyebrows and fixing your cuticles.
After admitting to yourself that you're a metrosexual, the second step is disclosing the fact that you're a metrosexual to others. This might seem like a scary experience, but honestly, they probably already suspect something is up. Your friends see the spark in your eye when they mention shopping at Banana Republic, Express, Club Monaco and H&M (which doesn't stand for Homo & Metro).
Realizing that you're not the only metrosexual on campus can help build a sense of self-esteem, and this is where the third step, socializing with other metrosexuals, comes into play. The best place to find other metrosexuals on campus, in my opinion, is MoTini's, with its lack of sports and its hipster vibe.
The fourth step is positive self-identification. The minute you can feel comfortable inviting your friends for a facial and manicure and perhaps recruit in the name of style is one more step towards visible, positive representation. Not feeling ashamed about spending time and money on oneself is important.
The final step in the coming-out process for a metrosexual is integration and acceptance. This entails openness about your metro status and willingness to speak up when other metrosexuals are bashed. Perhaps you'll set up a community-service project entailing the donation of clothes to Plato's Closet/younger brother or seaweed wraps for professors.
Metrosexuals of Muncie unite. No longer let your fashionable voices go unheard. Stand up, be vocal and be counted; most importantly, show off those killer jeans you just got for Christmas.
Write to Kevin at twobsuguys@yahoo.com
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