It's the same old song, but with a different meaning since you've been gone

I've never been able to get down with things that are popular. I have unique tastes. I understand this, and have chosen to live with the consequences. Usually those consequences are minor: being unable to have even a vague conversation about shows like “Everyone Loves Raymond” or “Will and Grace” or putting up with raised eyebrows and snickering when I talk about shows like “MST 3K”. Nothing serious. In fact, the people I tend to hang out with have their own unique tastes – they’re not the same as mine, but we come from the common ground of understanding.

When I started university, I lived in dorm and the consequences are a bit more pronounced. "Trying" doesn't even begin to describe the experience. Whenever I'd go down to the lounge to watch something on TV, I was reminded that I don't have the same tastes that other people have: I don't watch hockey, I don't like sports, and the idea of watching porn in a ROOM FULL OF OTHER GUYS... well, let's just say that that's hardly my idea of fun. Occasionally I'd find myself alone in the lounge and able to watch what I wanted. However when one of my floormates stumbled in drunk, I'd be forced to explain why I was watching a samurai film, lucha libre or anime. "What's this *#!%?" became sort of a greeting.

As I was walking home the other night I was suddenly struck with a feeling I hadn't really felt since those days in Willison Hall - that I have nothing in common with the people around me. It was Sunday night, which, if you're from Winnipeg you know, is "Cruise Night"! People who have spent a lot of money supping up or restoring their fancy-schmancy cars drive down Portage Ave - some times fast to show off speed, some times slow to allow a good look. But it's so much more than just driving. People gather in empty parking lots all along Portage to WATCH PEOPLE DRIVE BY. They bring out lawn chairs, they sit in the back of pick up trucks, they bring the whole family out to observe traffic. As I walked past one parking lot there were three cars in a row with their hoods up. Tall burly men were having an animated discussion about carburetors and V8s ... when I realized they weren’t talking about that tasty vegetable juice, I felt very alone.

Call me crazy, but I don't understand the appeal of cruise night at all. I can drive- it's hardly one of my favourite things, but I do it - but the idea of driving around to watch other people drive around seems... silly?