The Cost of Peer Pressure

It’s everywhere. School and college, the neighborhood, the workplace….and here in the apartment building, and, yes, I’ve fallen victim to peer pressure.

We cave to peer pressure because, deep down, humans are basically herd animals with Wi‑Fi. The moment everyone else is decorating apartment doors—we feel an ancient tug in our DNA whispering, “Blend in, Judith… blend in or perish.” Our brains, ever dramatic, act like standing out will lead to exile, even though the worst that usually happens is someone raising an eyebrow and asking, “Oh. You’re not decorating your door?” 

Suddenly we’re nodding along, saying “Tomorrow, we’re going to decorate tomorrow” while wondering how we got there.

Seems almost everyone who lives in an apartment spends time and money on door decorations. Throughout the year one will find leprechauns, bunnies, flowers, crosses, flags, wreaths, art pieces, gnomes, skeletons, and Santas. Our apartment complex has a door decorating contest at Christmas-time—a contest, I assure you, my wife and I have zero chance of ever winning!

And peer pressure is sneaky. It doesn’t show up wearing a trench coat saying, “Do this.” It arrives disguised as casual comments like, “Everyone’s doing it,” or “It’ll be fun,” or “Come on, show your spirit.”

Next thing you know, we’re participating in something we swore we’d never do—spending money on chachkies to decorate a door that only a few dozen people will really see. Peer pressure is basically the universe’s way of reminding us that humans are gloriously ridiculous, and we’re all just trying to fit in without losing our dignity entirely.

Today, July 1^st, found me at the local Dollar Store. I hurried home to add to the few dollar store items we purchased LAST YEAR to celebrate our country’s independence. I added red, white and blue garland and a patriotic bow for Rusty, our bobbing-head dog greeter. And, for the outdoor barbeque we’ll attend, I bought two head bands with stars that flash red, white, and blue.

The cost of peer pressure for this July 4^th holiday was less than six dollars. With inflation I don’t want to think about the Christmas door decorating contest!

Happy July 4^th!