A Book's Cover

“Are those randomly multi-colored nails?”

“Why would you get four piercings on one ear?”

“Do you have to wear such long earrings?”

“Do your accessories always match your clothes?”

“Are your nails really painted fluorescent?”

“Is that lipstick?”

“How long do you take to dress up everyday?”

These are questions I’ve encountered through my life. Superficial and limited to how I look and dress. Everyone judges a book by its cover. The first thing anyone notices about you is how you look. If you are blonde, you are dumb. Apparently, it doesn’t matter if you are actually a Harvard Graduate. If you are blonde, you are dumb. If you have a tattoo and piercings, you are a rebel. It doesn’t matter if you are an accomplished surgeon. If you have a tattoo and piercings, you are a rebel. All of us, no matter who we are, have been in situations were our looks were given primary importance. We have all either been rejected or wholly accepted into something because of the way we look.

“Her clothes are too loud. I don’t like her.”

“Her nose ring is weird. What is wrong with her?”

“He is wearing a pink shirt, he has to be gay.”

“If she spends so much time dressing up, when does she ever study?”

“She is so shabbily dressed. Her mind is probably as disorganized as her dressing sense.”

A counselor once told me that everything I wear and do to myself reflects something about me to the people around me. That had me wondering – when I choose what I’m going to wear every morning, am I aware of the image that I want to portray? Do I realize what kind of vibes I’m going to be giving off and still choose to dress a certain way? A small part of my brain responded, “Yes, I actually do.”

Even though I often feel that people over-analyze my clothes or that they unnecessarily attach importance to things that barely matter to me, it hit me that there is actually a reason for this kind of attribution. I wear bright clothes because it makes me happy – I am a person who attaches importance to the small things that make me happy. I have outlandish piercings – I actually want to stand out and be different.

The clothes we wear and our selection of accessories are actually another part of your personality. It is what distinguishes us from those around us. It helps us identify with those similar to us. Essentially, it represents our individuality. What we are on the outside represents what we are on the inside. Maybe not an entirely accurate depiction, but it is closest depiction of what you think you are.
Just the cover of that book is not going to tell you everything about the book. The cover is just giving you a glimpse of what lies inside. If you really don’t like it, maybe it is not your kind of book, but you’ll never know for sure, because you never took the time to actually read it.

Campaigns – not just politics, a livelihood

When a political campaign is announced at any part of the city, the average middle class man goes out of his way, literally, to make sure he avoids the scheduled place, through his day. “They are all about politics. We know all that we need to know. Why should we attend campaigns?” says B. Venkatachalam, an accountant. In Chennai, campaigns are not just about the politicians and their parties, it is also about the common man who makes a living out of these campaigns.

The increased density of a massive, unruly, and most often, fanatic crowd lures all kinds of traders to political campaigns. Street hawkers who sell stickers with party symbols, pictures and towels or even food items like samosa or tea earn more money at the campaigns then at their regular jobs.  V. Thirunakarasu says, “I have a binding shop, but during election times, I am fully devoted to making stickers for DMK.” He follows the party around Tamil Nadu and sells at every campaign. He says that he makes Rs. 200-300 more when he travels outside Chennai. These hawkers are dedicated to a particular party and sell products that showcase the party symbols, colours and statements.

However, tea and samosa sellers are not particularly aligned to any political party and usually, do not travel long distances to attend campaigns. The crowd and the prospective customers draw them to the nearest campaign. “I don’t care much about parties or politics. People buy sundal and murukku here just like they buy it at the beach where I usually sell them.” says G. Selvakumar. He claims to earn Rs. 400 at every campaign, which is Rs. 150 more than he gains usually.

The male members of the family are not the only ones profiting from these events. L. Kuppamma, a housewife, says she is offered Rs. 300 for attending a campaign and an additional Rs. 50 for every other member she is able to rally to this cause. “Every election season, I am guaranteed a regular flow of income,” says Mrs. Kuppamma. "The party doesn’t matter. I choose wherever I want to go.” 

Although there are many who gain out of this political play, the local shopkeepers are at a disadvantage. A campaign in their area keeps the pharmacists, tailors, tutorials and local grocery shops shut and out of business for a whole day, due to fear of riots.

With the election season coming to an end, everyone will have to get back to his or her regular business and daily routine.