You know what type of people I love – weird people. How would you define weird? According to the internet it’s suggesting something supernatural; uncanny. I kind of like that definition. It also means very strange; bizarre. You know what? I like that definition too, but I didn’t always.
For most of my life I’ve felt “weird” because I’ve always felt different. I equated different with being wrong, whatever that meant. I recall growing up being the only brown person wherever I went, and when I’d walk in, people would stare. I was so self-conscious about being me. My mom told me a story a few years ago that when we lived in Detroit, I used to ask her, “Mommy, when will my hair turn blonde and when would my eyes turn blue?” She thought it was funny and cute, and when she told me that story I was horrified. I definitely did not remember that from my early years.
I felt like the odd one out all the time. I was one of those kids who had a big growth spurt at a young age, like at 9-10 yrs old. My vision started going bad in the 2nd grade. I had thick ass glasses. Back in the 80’s there weren’t any cool frames and there was no advanced technology to shave down my coke bottle glasses. Ah childhood. Ah the ridicule! I also wanted to be an artist and the messages I kept receiving growing up were get good grades, go to a good school, and get a good job. How did being an artist fit in all that? I didn’t have any artist role models. I grew up among doctors and more doctors, so I did my best to fit in to the model that I thought I “should” be.
It wasn’t until I was in my mid to late 20’s when I started to take different action. I started to do things that I wanted to do like take art classes, move to a different state, try a new career, and take some self-development courses, that’s when things shifted. As the saying goes, action plus engagement lead to clarity. Fast forward to present time, I feel like there’s more room for people to be people. I never thought I’d see the day that people would have purple hair at work. I think we are living in a time where self-expression is becoming the norm. I wish I had the wherewithal to be me back then. Although I cannot change the past, I can change this moment.
My point in all this is, if you’ve ever felt like the odd man, odd woman out, you’re not alone. I want to encourage you to “do you.” Go one with your weird self. We need you. You matter.
