We all have our favourites.

We find our identity through our personal choices, and the various mediums they findtheir form in.

Film, book, video game, dessert and band, we hold our champions of different events as a testimony to ourselves. The conversations that ensue between either like-minded acquaintances or polar-opposites can be manna for some and the foundation for long-lasting friendship.

We may actually be one of the rare breed who are of the opinion that ‘Die Hard with a Vengeance’ is far superior than its prequels? Whilst we may suffer some raised eyebrows, our distinct opinion will remain in people’s memory. 

We may idolise the musical offerings of Nickelback.  We hold up the humble applie crumble as the bastion of desserts. Bucking the trend seems to be in fashion right now.

Conventional is boring. Liking and enjoying the unloved that sits in the darkness is now illuminated, and it has its own movement. 

Being a ‘hipster’ is eschewed by many as a pitiful cry for attention, a mewling from the black sheep who put appearance and people’s opinions above all else. These hipsters obviously have their priorities all wrong. 

If it were not for these brave souls who forge new paths in the darkness, then the majority of us would tread the same paths and see the same sights. Once a hipster has taken a route, their stories and experiences encourage others to try the same. It splits the herd and leads to more confabs and connections.

If we all did the same thing and shunned the unorthodox, then this world’s canvas would contain far more grey than it does right now. Major cities now have pockets of the eccentric everywhere, and we can find the offbeat and interesting no matter where we go. It means that possibilites are endless.

Does the trailblazer require affirmation from the majority? Is that the underlying reason why this burgeoning movement enjoys a pumpkin seed bran muffin rather than a chocolate chip version? The questioning looks that are aimed their way as they go about their daily business in their quirky ensembles tells us otherwise. 

They enjoy the divide that separates them from the preponderance. Their motivation to seek out the untouched and spurned has allowed the masses to live vicariously through their horn-rimmed spectacles and perhaps stray from the signposts which guide the way for us all.

Different holiday destinations, a discovered gem of the silver screen, your tastebuds being caressed by a strange hand. The innovator’s raison d’etre may still be doubted, but we can still take something from their modus operandi.

They are not shy in trying new things. A test we can all take is the monthly order from your favourite Chinese restaurant. Do we know your order numbers off by heart? Are we looking forward to the tasty, yet carbon-copy meal that we had last month?

We do not have to wear ill-fitting outfits and imbibe goats milk. We just need to take the forward thinking mission in its purest form. 

Try new things. Life is all about the experiences we inflict upon ourselves, and the window to try them is short. 

So listen to that Megadeth album. Visit Tallinn rather than Gran Canaria. Take part in a game of curling rather than just ice-skating.

Just don’t think that Die Hard with a Vengeance was better than its older brothers. That is just plain wrong.