Being the Other

Being the Other

            The Velour is a place I have heard of and even seen in the movie theaters when they try to make Provo seem like a fun place to be, but never in my dreams would I have imagined I would end up there on a Saturday night, alone. The live band scene is never something I have been remotely interested in or felt like I would belong in. Yet, there I was walking up to the doors, holding my purse in one hand and my camera in another. I had always had a prejudice against those that either went to the Velour or those that had their bands perform at the Velour. I thought that they were all un-talented and desperate for attention. Little did I know, I would come to see just how wrong I was to assume such things. I had no experience to go off of; I had just presumed that these people only came to the Velour because no other place would accept them.

On the outside the Velour seems like an old saloon, but as I opened the door the environment totally changed. The walls were plastered with odd, mismatched paintings or totally random things like angel wings and a chipped sign. In the middle of the room, one small disco ball rotated above. It felt as if I was walking into a 20^th century magic show with all the random objects around. All around the room were placed various seating arrangements. There were low tables with chairs, high tables with chairs, and a couch that was on the ground and finally there were various tiered, large, steps that people were sitting on.

 

 

It all seemed very odd to me and I felt as if I stuck out like a sore thumb. A couple of people stared at me and gave me weird looks, which made me shrink back even more. At first I just stood there soaking up the scene. I tried to stay back and observe what was going on. Nothing really happened for a while. People simply sat and chatted with each other. I noticed a couple of people sipping Coke from a bottle. I looked around and noted the kind of people that were there. There were a lot of hipsters in the place, and they all seemed to group together. I observed that there was also a group of Goth looking people. On that note, the women either wore no make-up, like the hipsters, or a ton of very black make-up, like the Goths. I also noted a young family in the crowd and figured they might be there to support the band. They didn’t really seem to belong, yet neither did I.  I felt out of place to be so, what I consider “normal.” I felt alone and very uncomfortable. I was not used to being with people so different from me, but I tried to get up my courage and join the crowds as the music began.  

When the music finally started I was confused, it looked like the guy was just messing with this phone and had background sounds going, yet the lights were dimmed and people had stood up and looked excited. After a little while I finally realized that the guy hunched over his phone was the musician and he was actually playing music! I felt really stupid because I clearly didn’t appreciate modern, Indie music like the people there that night did. I felt “un-cultured” and even though I tried to blend in with the crowd, it seemed to me that my lack of experience with live band performances radiated from me like a light bulb. However as the night went on I realized that I had totally judged the bands that perform there. They are actually very talented! My preconceived, inexperienced notion that they were all un-talented was totally false! In the end I found I actually enjoyed myself! Granted, I still didn’t feel like I was part of the crowd, but I learned to enjoy the experience!

These experiences I had taught me to not judge people without experiencing being in their presence first. This valuable lesson can help me as teacher with students who don’t feel like they belong in a classroom. I can help people experience interacting with one another in ways that are safe and comfortable and will allow other students to get to know each other. I strongly believe that the thing that pushed me past my preconceived prejudice was actually interacting with these people I had judged. It is easy to find something you like about someone once you’ve actually spent time with them. I can help my students feel comfortable with each other and that way they can overcome any preconceived notions about one another. Also interacting with each other will create bonds and friendships that will make the class become a more enjoyable place to be. I am so glad that I went to the Velour and learned that I can learn to overcome my prejudices.