You might have seen me around.
Maybe I was introduced to you by one of your friends.
You could have texted me once or twice. Or perhaps it was the time I slid into your DMs.
Yes, I am the original shrug emoji.
It’s my one claim to fame, and the one people ask me about all the time. So how did I become a famous and much copied emoji?
Well, I didn’t always have the laissez-faire attitude you see today. Truth be told, I used to be quite anxious and way more uptight. Looking back to when I was growing up my face was more of a :-/ I was indecisive and more than a little cynical, even at such a tender age.
My parents’ reputations cast a long shadow. My old man :-) was a legend in the industry and my mum :D had a great sense of humour. She was almost as famous as Dad. Sadly, I didn’t inherit either their sunny demeanour or outsized ambition. I didn’t have the cheek of my sister ;-) or the outgoing nature and distinctive features of :^) my big-nosed cousin.
Throughout my early years, dad would make me practice each night, trying different expressions to find one I could make my own. Both my parents pushed me hard. They tried to hide their disappointment when all I could muster would be yet another :-/ or on a good day :-|
Although I tried my best, it was never good enough. They always looked at me like :P
One day when I finally had enough of being judged, I left the family home not knowing if I’d ever return.
For years I worked odd jobs, mostly in communications, anything to earn a living. But there was always a hollow feeling inside.
In time, the weight of expectation lifted from my shoulders. I realised I’d simply given up trying to please people. I didn’t need to prove anything.
Eventually, I decided to return home. The prodigal son. When I got back you couldn’t take the smiles off Mum and dad’s faces. Even though that’s how they normally looked I could tell they were thrilled. They were full of questions: Where had I been all these years? Why didn’t I call? How was I feeling?
And then it happened. The moment (and the reaction) that changed my life forever...
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
The effect was instant. It felt as if the room had frozen. It was :-o all around. As it sunk in, my parents recognised what had happened. They’d had their own epiphanies when they came of age and now it was happening to their son.
With my newfound honesty, came a kind of freedom. The freedom to just throw my hands in the air and say, “Fuck it!”.
The more I did it, the more praise I received. I was a hit.
But it wasn’t all big grins and cheeky winks. I was in so many places, emails, online comments, even the odd sext, that I began to get sick of my own face. My attitude changed. I didn’t care and I didn’t care who knew it. As luck would have it, I started to get known for that too.
It took a few stern words from close friends like >:-( for me to come to my senses.
I realised I had a purpose and that purpose was to not knowing, not caring and being generally upbeat about it all.
I never thought I’d be anything but a footnote in emoji family history. These days there are so many ripoffs of what I do, even 3D versions, which look nice but will never beat the original. I’m sorry if that sounds arrogant but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Now the pressure that was once on me has fallen onto my younger brother as we wait to see how he’ll develop. He’s trying way too hard of course. And he’s still so immature. So far all he’s managed are ( .)(. ) and this one he thinks of as his masterpiece 8=====D~~~
He’ll get there eventually. If my experience is anything to go by, the secret is that only when you have no more fucks left to give, will you find exactly where you’re meant to be.