a dreary post from an rainy, mid-semester day

I'm sitting in the atrium, enjoying the view when I look behind me to see a goth kid wearing foundation and eyeliner. I mean, I guess this is normal. I'm really not used to seeing dudes in make-up. Even in, what my mother refers to as, my dark(est of) phases I didn't wear make-up. I struggled to dye my hair - I remember being torn between what I called "the natural" (which was hippie style) and "the plastic" (which was along the lines of goth or punk). Most of the time, to which my mother will attest, I just looked bad. There is a foolishness in exploring the anti-culture, it's not necessarily bad and I'm not trying to judge it in a negative light, it's rather hypocritical and self-delusional; either pretend carefree or outright attack on normal.

Then I thought this fella looked like he was taking an exam or something. The special needs kids get to take their tests how and when it best suits them, and I thought, wow, this kid is a special needs kid. Does this change his appearance, or the impetus behind it? does his appearance change his status - can you fight the system if you already exist on its fringes - are you just showing your colors?

Is wearing make-up a sign of special needs, or do special needs have any influence on appearance? Do handicaps aid or hinder one's counter-cultural expression...?