In these past three weeks, I’m not sure if I’ve aged thirty years because of the twice daily walks I find myself going on, or if I’ve gone back to being 15, because oh man, has my middle school self come out during this quarantine. Maybe it’s being back in my childhood bedroom or doing the chores my mom gives me, but part of me feels like I have gone straight back to middle and high school. However, I think the part of me that feels just like I’m back in my pre-teen years is that my One Direction phase has come back, stronger than ever.
Let me get something straight, my One Direction phase never ended, it just comes back every few months stronger and stronger. There are some moments you’ll never forget, and for me, one of those moments is when I heard Zayn was leaving the band (for anyone curious, I was in ninth grade, leaving morning chapel at my school, heading to history class when all of a sudden I heard sobs behind me and the rest of the day went downhill from there). I watched the X-Factor video diaries, watched and rewatched their interview and music videos, and cried with my friends whenever a new single dropped. However, when the band split apart, my One Direction phase slowed down…that is until I get bored.
I know this about myself: when I get sad, lonely, or bored, it’s either my One Direction or Taylor Swift phases that intensifies, and right now, it is One Direction. Could this be because of quarantine and I need some comfort to go back to? Is it because I’m back in my childhood home and reverting back to my past self? Is it because I know I’ll never be truly as happy as I was in 2013 when we were blessed with videos to BOTH “Story of My Life” and “Best Song Ever”? Whatever reason it is, I’m so glad that I can live a life without shame about my One Direction obsession since anything goes during this period. You see, even if I truly and deeply loved One Direction for so long, it did not come without the criticism and sexism that comes with a teen girl’s love for a boyband.
I’m not sure why exactly I’ve reverted back to this phase, but I know it’s not going anywhere soon. Anyways, if you’ve also never truly left your One Direction phase but now it has come back full force, maybe we can all team up and get them back together (I mean, Harry Styles BASICALLY confirmed a reunion in this interview. if you read in between the lines. “Not the reunion we had in mind” CLEARLY means they’ve been plotting something? Right?).