Homo Noseintheairius

Each of us, at one time or the other, might have come across this peculiar sub-species called the Homo Noseintheairius. They look and feel like the Homos of the Sapien variety but you can differentiate between the two as soon as they start making themselves heard. The Sapiens sound like you and me and the Nosintheairius wrap every note of sound coming out of them in a coat of snootiness. Since the difference is only in the sounds being emitted, both the groups are collectively called Humans.

But the difference is pretty telling and, honestly, quite irritating. From the kind of cereal you pick up at the store to the kind of laptop you order for, from the sneakers you wear in the gym to the set of wheels you drive to work in, from the kind of house you own to the places you visit for a holiday - think of any small thing and chances are you would have come across a specimen who would give you an obviously disapproving look because it personally wouldn't have opted for the same lowly things you were opting for. If you haven't had such an experience yet, and if you are not one of 'them', don't worry. You will have a run-in soon. (For a small fee I can arrange for one, at a time and place of your convenience, but that's an entirely different post!)

My experience with 'them' happened in the field of Art. More specifically, it was in the field of Appreciation of Art, the Art in question being music. I am a fan of any kind of music for which I feel like dancing. Hip-hop, Pop, Rock, Latin, Classical, Film songs - I have favorite tracks across all these genres. I haven't come across many who have an equally eclectic taste as I do and, as any regular Homo Sapien can, I also can understand that different folks have different tastes. The Noseintheairius folks, on the other hand, probably have some messed-up wiring up there because they don't seem to understand this simple concept. Instead they are ready to unleash their snootiness on me the moment they realize that I am listening to something I like. "How can you listen to that? What is it anyway, it doesn't make any sense." is the most common refrain I hear from 'them' to be followed immediately by a suggestion to listen to whatever it is that they consider listen worthy and sensible. Grrrr @*$^^@%(@*

Sometimes it gets so bad that I feel like strapping them to a chair and locking them up in a room. A room filled with floor-to-ceiling speakers belting out track after track of all the kinds of music that makes their nose turn up. But then I won't. Because I am not one of 'them'.