Anything but a Late Bloomer

As I am sure you loyal readers, (aahem, reader) can recall, my “Preamble” (Post 8/10/09) revealed, in no uncertain terms, that I don’t consider myself an early adopter of...well, pretty much anything. Upon further reflection, I realized that the term “early adopter” might not mean a whole lot to those outside of the marketing stratosphere. Lord knows we marketers sometimes get so caught up in our whiz bang terminology that we forget that real people don’t know or care how we classify them. Crap, now you’re all probably wondering what the hell “whiz bang” is. Okay, let’s tackle one marketing lesson at a time – for the record, an “early adopter” is loosely defined as an early customer of any given company, product or technology…a Trendsetter if you will.

So after this general observation, in a sheer effort to prove my initial declaration wrong, I forced myself into a mental inventory of appropriate categories to determine my true propensity for trendsetting. After all, who doesn’t want to be a trendsetter? The connotation alone is just too fabulous.

My mental inventory went something like this:

Technology. My Blackberry is company-owned and almost two years old (which is like a decade in tech time). My tube TV (gasp) is barely digital and certainly not Hi-Def, plasma, flat screen, or anything else remotely cool sounding. I can operate a Garmin but that would be the last thing on earth that I would spend money on. And seeing ads for “digital reading pens” and “laser guided scissors” just send me right over the edge. Trendsetting scale: ,,,,,

Art. Andy Warhol is most contemporary American artist I can name. I haven’t gone to a movie on opening weekend since my nephews dragged me to see Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King, circa 2003. I download new songs to my iPod about every six months. And it took me five years before I saw Wicked on Broadway. Trendsetting scale: ,,,,,

Fashion. I generally despise trendy clothing and will let new fashions marinate in the pages of Lucky for at least a few months before even attempting to inject into my wardrobe. Hell, I just bought skinny jeans six months ago. And Friends, I didn’t have “The Rachel” haircut until ’01. My only redeeming quality in this category seems to be my shoe collection, which is really more a function of sheer volume than anything else. Trendsetting scale: ,,,,,

Travel. Although travel is one of my most passionate pursuits, I’m not exactly trekking to third world countries or exotic ports of call (you know the ones that require a malaria vaccination). Although my last few international excursions were amazing, Germany and St. Thomas aren't exactly Belize or Bali. And sure, I went Costa Rica last year – but that’s when everyone (who went to Costa Rica five years ago) was journeying to Croatia. Trendsetting scale: ,,,,,

So, by definition, I would be…ummm…not sure how to phrase this…hmmmm…what’s the opposite of a Trendsetter exactly?

Loser?

Cultural Lollygagger?

Late Bloomer?

Okay, let’s go with Late Bloomer. At least that label doesn’t entirely make me want to bury my Blonde head in shame. Sigh. Frankly, for a woman who has always fancied herself independent and a little daring, I want to be known as anything but a Late Bloomer.

This realization really has my head spinning. I find myself wondering if this apparent unwillingness to embrace the “new” goes far beyond haircuts and TVs? Gasp. Could it be that my 30-something-year-old self is unconsciously easing into marriage, much like I eased into the skinny jeans trend?

Pause for reflection.

I mean, if I am not out there blazing a trail with an asymmetrical bob, why would I ever try to blaze a trail with my heart!?

Now let’s not confuse my epiphany with self-wallowing. I’m not objecting to my newly acknowledged Late Bloomer approach in the romance department; rather, I’m just now realizing (after three decades on the planet) that things tend to materialize a bit slower for me. The evidence is staggering:

ï I was painfully shy until middle school. My teacher once told my mom that I should probably be tested for hearing problems because I never spoke. Clearly I have overcome that.
ï I didn’t date until I was in college. (Although technically that was really my dad’s decision, not mine.)
ï I started running only five short years ago. Hell, I just learned to swim.
ï My love affair with shoes is, quite candidly, still in its infancy.
ï I just started enjoying classic literature for the first time in my life.
ï I recently discovered sweet potato fries.

Honestly, some of the most enjoyable, robust parts of my life are just now taking shape. So why would I expect anything different when it comes to my love life?

So this girl is going to hold her Blonde head up high and relish not being a Trendsetter. In fact, realizing all of the joy that has just recently found its way into my life, I can’t imagine why on earth I would ever want to be anything but a Late Bloomer.