The most common reaction I get at school when I mention Folk, "Oh, you mean Country?" Phil Ochs, Pete Seeger, Eric Anderson, Woody Guthrie, or even Bob Dylan or Paul Simon are unheard of by most of my classmates (and it's stretching to call many of them folk). Don McLean has a moderate amount of fame, but most people still classify him as "country". So, I get to explain exactly what folk is. I can't say traditional music, because that brings to mind Turkey in the Straw, or Home on the Range. If I refer to topical music... well, no one knows what topical music is anyway.

Fat B***rd did say to be individual is to be outcast. He's very right. I wear my hair long, and have had people I don't know tell me to "cut your fuckin hair". I've been called a loser, simply because I don't conform to present fashion and think and work on different levels than most people my age. I can't even talk to most of the other musicians, since most are in band (just for the credit), the "guitar gods" can't read music, play music I can't stand, play 900+ dollar guitars (that they can't even really play), and would be lost were it not for tab.

I've given up on my "peers", and just decided to ride it out until college. So, to quote Max, fuck it.