Imagine living in a world where everyone's lives pretty much center around playing basketball. Wherever you go, it's like you can't escape it. Basketball fills everyone's waking lives. Everywhere you look, there's something related to basketball. Everywhere you go, people are talking about basketball. There are different brands of basketballs, different brands of basketball shoes, shorts, etc. There are pills that will make you faster and stronger on the court.
At a certain age, everyone is expected to start playing basketball. A parent or a schoolteacher will sit down with you and explain to you everything about basketball-all the rules of basketball, how to avoid becoming injured or injuring someone else while playing basketball, etc. All of your peers are developing an interest in basketball, however it's not something you really want to do.
A couple of year or so go by and everyone your age is playing basketball. You are still just not interested. You are beginning to be shamed and ridiculed by your peers-and it seems the world around you-for not wanting to play basketball. For not buying into the hype. For not seeing the point. Maybe you finally do cave in and play basketball-and it probably will just make you dislike it more. Or even worse, you end up playing basketball just because you think you need to and you end up becoming injured doing something you didn't even want to do in the first place-maybe seriously so.
You're probably sick of everything being about basketball. It's nothing that you yourself want to do, however everyone else does it and it's all that you hear about. You are labeled as a "loser" and a "failure" by many for your lack of interest in basketball-or even the fact that you've never played it before. There are hurtful stereotypes about people like you abound-"loser living in their parents' basement," "forty year old never played basketball" "don't die without playing basketball! There are terrorists up there waiting for you!") etc.
But you don't understand what the hype is about. It's not something you want to do. As the years go by, you feel more and more alone. And hurt. You don't care about basketball, yet it's everything you see and hear about. You can't escape it. Everywhere you go, people are discussing their basketball-playing lives. Everyone is discussing that great game they played last night. And you're sick of it. You don't care. And people don't understand you. "Wow, you're a loser. Get in there and play basketball, man! You have to play basketball, whether you like it or not!" Others will probably say, when they hear that basketball is not something that you like or want, "Oh, you'll want to eventually. Everyone does. You're just a late bloomer!"
All you want is for someone to understand you...someone who feels the same way about basketball...someone who doesn't understand the hype or see the point. By this point you feel VERY angry and hurt. Maybe you will eventually will give in and play basketball...just so you can say you've done it. That will likely scar you more and make the feeling worse. Maybe you lie to people and say you've done it "yeah I was fifteen the first time I played basketball, it was back in an old alleyway"...)
Sometimes you wonder if these individuals who put you and others down for not wanting to play basketball are actually jealous. Do they wish that they could easily say no to basketball? Do they wish that they had been older when they started to play basketball? Are they sorry that they didn't wait? Do they actually wish that they were like you?
You also know that, by choosing not to play basketball, you have completely zero risk of basketball-related injuries. There are people out there like you, no matter how few-are those not interested in basketball actually more intelligent?
I'm sure that we all realize that this "lack of interest in basketball when everyone else loves it" is actually a metaphor for asexuality.
The fact that I have never in my life climbed naked on top of someone else supposedly makes me a lesser being shows that there's something wrong with our world today-not with me. The fact that I should have to "admit" that at all says that there's something wrong with the world today. Not with me.
I am simply not interested in sex. And it should not be anyone else's business.
I am asexual.
Pet's name: Brightheart
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