Art from the Outskirts

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Archived from February 4, 2009 at Waxing Poetically.

Cummings in middle age

“To be nobody but yourself - in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you like everybody else - means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight, and never stop fighting.” - E.E. Cummings

The poet known for his distinctly grammarless and structureless style speaks to what most of the human race may say is a society’s undeniable tendency toward unity structure, rules and regulations. The very definition of civilization is very often that which has been tamed of its spontaneity, stripped of its need to break out of the bonds of whatever group mindset it may be in at a given point. Race, gender, religion, nationality, size, shape and number are the labels that tend to define a group or even an “individual.” If any person should dare to break the cycle of similarity, that person is often jilted to outer limits of Any Place, Planet Earth and thought to be, as fate would have it, a non-conformist - the anti-label label. That person is a stranger to the normal ways of doing things and generally just an “odd thing” to be appreciated for its frankly visible freakishness.

Scenario: Matt has a job interview a with local business firm. He prepared ahead of the interview with a brilliant resume and questions and some answers to the questions he thinks the interviewer is the most likely to ask him. He has researched the firm and sees they are very keen on punctuality, so Matt plans to arrive early to the meeting. He presses his best suit and tie: The tie is combination of blue and black stripes matching perfectly against almost all the rest of his outfit - shiny, black shoes included. But his shirt is a bright racecar red and clashes and contrasts flagrantly against the rest of his clothes as if it had just been coated with a house painter’s hand while the painter had painted the inner walls of Matt’s living room as if Matt had somehow gotten in the painter’s way on the way to his interview.

When Matt arrives, he is calm and cool-minded and eager to make a good impression. He sits down alongside a few other male candidates all dressed in black suits, a few staffers too. All in the room are immediately drawn to Matt’s bright, red shirt as some workers around the office begin to murmur amongst themselves. One young woman lets out a faint chuckle while others just stare at the shirt for a few short but palpable seconds. Finally, Matt is called in for his interview. He his sits in the HR office in a chair near the door. The interviewer closes the door and sits down to begin the interview.

“Mr. Devlin you seem to be highly qualified, the interviewer asserts.” Recent MBA, you seem hardworking…. But I’ve got to tell you…” The interviewer clears his throat with a loud eh-hem. The folks you’re up against are pret-ty good as well!”

“Really?” Matt raises his eyebrows in reply.

The interview rolls on as per usual with all the expected Qs and A about Matt’s previous employment and Matt rattles out questions about daily duties and such. Suddenly, the interviewer is caught in trance. His eyes are locked onto Matt’s shirt. He quickly snaps himself back to reality.

Well, anyhow, we’ll be in contact by Friday morning,” the interviewer says getting up from his chair to shake Matt’s hand.

“Thank you, Sir! Have a good day,” Matt replies with a smile.

Upon Matt’s exit from the room the interviewer thinks to himself, “Holy Jeez! What in the hell was that shirt!” The shirt has just cost Matt the job of his dreams.

Here is an illustration of the conformity of a society being so well woven into a culture that it has cost a brilliant and savvy business man his ideal job. Matt is fully qualified for the job in all aspects but his shirt; and because that shirt choice was a departure from the norm, his interviewer decided to opt for a more color-coordinated candidate. There is not really any logical reason for Matt’s not being chosen other than the fact he is dressed differently from all others in the firm. In reality, Matt’s outward appearance has no baring whatsoever on his skills as a human being and yet, the interviewer places and enormous emphasis on it. In this climate, Cummings’ dare to be different is not only difficult, but detrimental as well even if the circumstances are in fact completely absurd.

Wax freely.

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