"Chameleon" by David Lopera

​Our need to be liked sometimes influences the choices we make. Here, the author, David Lopera, describes what happened once when he did a lot to try and be liked.

High school students are a lot like chameleons. They love to blend (to look like what is around you) into their surroundings (what is around them). Walk down the halls of a high school and you will see exactly that: students trying to fit in (be like everyone else). Similar to chameleons, high school students do it for the same reason -- survival (to live).

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Being singled out is a dangerous thing. In a place where reputation is important, having anything hurt that reputation is very bad. In my freshman year (9th grade), I was in a group of friends who loved to talk about shoes. Our conversations were about shoes, Call of Duty (a video game), shoes, girls, shoes, shoes, and school. The more they talked about it, the more I saw sneakers I wanted everywhere I went. It wasn’t long until I figured out that all the “popular” kids had the most expensive sneakers, more specifically, Jordans. Looking down at my plain, old shoes, I knew I was not as good as them. How could I expect to survive high school if I had nothing to show on my feet?

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That night, I looked online at many pairs of Jordans. Different designs, different colors, but all well over $100. Which ones were cool? Which designs were best? DIdn’t that one senior wear these? He got a lot of attention at school. Maybe I should get the same. Nah, probably not. Maybe these? An hour into my search, I finally saw the pair I wanted -- the Royal Blue 10s. The pair not only had my favorite colors (blue, white, and silver) but they were, more importantly, “cool” enough for me to be recognized and accepted. In a group of trendsetters, I was the chameleon trying to blend (to look like what is around you) in.

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I woke up at 7 a.m. on a chilly (cold) March Saturday morning. It was the day the Royal Blue 10s were being sold in stores. I waited patiently outside of the Champs store for two hours. All the guys around me had on $100+ shoes. They talked about the newest sneakers as I stood there awkwardly in my $60 Nikes. I felt out of place (didn’t belong), and even if I could fit in, I slowly realized I didn’t want to.

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​Standing

awkwardly​

​Nike shoes

My thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a door opening. All heads turned to the employee coming out of the store. Within 30 seconds, we were all packed into the small store, dollar bills waving in the air. Stealthily sneaking toward the front, I got the shoes, paid, and quickly left with a smile on my face.

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​Stealthily walking​

​That Monday, I wore the shoes for the first time. As I put them on, I could feel the soft sole press against the bottom of my foot. The new shoe smell flew up my nose. I could just imagine the look of awe on everyone’s face, and all the nice things people would say. Carefully, I wiped a small spot of dirt off the side of the right one. A smile hit my face as I tied the laces. Perfect.

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​Look of awe

"Wow!"​

​There was a hop to my step that day and my head was held just a little bit higher. Looking around, I met everyone in the eye expecting to see one of them staring at my shoes. First period passed. Nothing. Second period passed. Same thing. Nobody said anything nice or anything. By lunch, I was really disappointed. I had imagined that I would be transformed (changed for the better), but as soon as I walked through the school door, I was still the same old freshman (9th grader) I was the week before. How could that be? I had the Jordans and everything. Were they really worth $160 and two hours of my time?

​Not once did I ask myself if I actually wanted the pair. The shoes didn’t represent who I was. But I had imagined the shoes would help make a better me. What I didn't realize, however, is that when chameleons try to avoid being singled out (not being included), they don’t fit into their surroundings (what is around them). They disappear (can’t be seen).

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