Expectation vs Reality

Olympics are known to create hitherto unknown superheroes. But there has been no one quite like Turkey's Yusuf Dikeç. A middle aged, plain-looking man – who might have qualified as a beige flag in social media lingo – won a silver medal in shooting. Where special paraphernalia, carefully-crafted, stylish appearances create instant buzz, a normal looking person ended up creating a storm. This has more to do with our own expectations than what turned out to be an elite athlete-in-disguise reveal.   

The whole incident shoots back to Obama’s tan/beige suit. Even being a true green flag didn’t spare him. He endured endless teasing and trolling for his off-the-beaten-track choice just because the Presidents are always seen dressed in dark colors. Dark equaled serious. There was great commotion seeing the charismatic leader dressed in a different color suit. Strangely many feared the color would somehow adversely affect his presidential capabilities. He assured us it does not. Just like the T-shirt that Yusuf Dikeç wore did not distract him from his target.

Skills and competency have nothing to do with the color or kind of clothes one wears. It is something worth remembering in this world of clothing calamity.

An interesting aside worth mentioning here is that recently there was a clue in one of the NYT’s mini puzzles for a five-letter word: Quintessentially boring color. As it turned out, the answer was “Beige.” Who decided that? Here, the general expectation would be that perhaps it’s a color not many liked. But beige has several fans. Hardly boring and endorsed by Obama, it is one of the most pleasant colors. Giving out a beach vibe, beige uplifts moods; it’s just soothing on the eyes. 

If one must deem a color boring at gunpoint, it could be purple in the context of the ongoing Olympics. Of the 195 UN recognized countries of the world, virtually none of them have purple on their national flag. 

Nowhere could one experience this expectation vs reality better than by daring to show up at an event not following its meticulous dress code. Going against the dress code expectation is akin to denouncing the whole purpose of the event. Even if it is nothing close to an Olympic-level event, leaving a room for surprises deserves its own place at the imaginary podium. Simply dressing appropriately could suffice. What if we let a tad bit of individual fancy take over from the more-of-the-same cult?

Medal your own boring-beige, in a way.