Matt Roberts

Dr. McFaden

Educ 2120

January 22, 14

Cultural Norm

            Being a firefighter we are always helping others and doing things throughout the community.  There was a 5K race that some firemen were running in, and my station did not have anyone to run.  So everyone voted that I do it and they would pay for my race fee.  The only draw back was, I had to wear what they chose for me.  Many ideas came about very quickly.  They all gave me a hard time about what I was going to have to wear.  After they talked it all over they had decided on me wearing a dress.  Not just any dress, a white sun dress.  Once I was told this I wanted to strangle them, but that was the agreement.

            Once race day came, I went out and found a dress to run in.  I wore normal cloths up to the race and while I waited for my time to run.  Once it came close to race time I changed into my dress.  While I was changing I wondered what people were going to think about me and wonder why this guy is in a dress.  I came out from the room and immediately everyone began to laugh at me.  My buddies laugh because I actually did it and did not back out of the deal, while other people looked at me with confusion.  I was receiving a lot of different looks and some did not look very pleasant.  I know people did not know why I was in it but it still showed me how I was being judged. 

            Being a guy in America, your not suppose to wear a dress and since I did it was not culturally right.  As I ran throughout the course somehow I was separated from my group and that is when people really started making comments.  About half way through the race I ended up seeing a group of girls wearing dresses like I was.  I hurried up to them and they had a good laugh saying, I had some sexy legs.  I told them why I was in the dress and they welcomed me in their group to run.  It turned out to be a real fun race but for most people who saw me did not agree with what I was wearing at all.  It showed me how easily people will look at a person who does something a little different.  In our society you are judged by your appearance more than anything.  I learned not to judge people by there appearance but their actions instead.