Robert A. Simpson
Prof. M Mehaffy
English 102
17 February, 1998
How to be a ‘Metal Head’
My attempt to fit into my high school peer group involved becoming a ‘Metal Head’ which included wearing black and listening to heavy metal music; the author of "How to Be a Homie" explained exactly how one has to change to fit into particular peer groups. My experience in trying to fit in led me to the conclusion that it really doesn’t matter what other people think.
The metal heads at Leesburg High School tried everything they could to disrupt class and tried anything to make it known to the world that they really did not want to be in school. It wasn’t easy to become a part of this group; not only did you have to dress right, but you also had to commit to memory all the popular groups, and knowing the lyrics to all of Metallica’s songs didn’t hurt. The first task at becoming a metal head required the embarrassing title of ‘wanna-be’. To even be a wanna-be you had to dress accordingly. If it was black it was considered fashionable. As well, tee shirts with pictures of rock groups like Metallica and Motley Crue were a plus. To add to this ensemble it was necessary to have a jacket, which had to be made of either leather or jean material. The wanna-be’s were easy to pick out, they were the ones still going to class on a regular basis. You had to get out of the wanna-be status before you found out how to skip classes and get away with it. I tried to skip before I found out the ‘rules’ and got caught. It was the first time I had ever been suspended. I thought it was funny that if I stayed home from school without an excuse the school would give me one. My mother did not think it was so funny.
Once you learned what it took to be a metal head you were allowed to be a part of the group on a trial basis. During this time you would work on your vocabulary and your knowledge of music. The vocabulary was more important. If you could speak correctly by talking like you know it all and use profanity at the right times, the people usually don’t bother you as much. Learning the music isn’t hard because you’re free of learning useless things like math and English.
After you’ve gone through all that you can become a metal head. It was a title worth having because everyone looked up to you (except the teachers). After I became a metal head I used it to make as many friends as I could. We had a lot of fun during this time but then I had to move. I did not matter though; my reputation would carry with me to the next school. It was understood that everyone in the world wanted to be a metal head. After I got to the new school I realized that wasn’t true. It didn’t take me long to realize that no matter where you go everyone is different and the best you can do is be yourself.