Everybody’s Weird

If you think you’re not, you’re wrong.

I’M OKAY; YOU’RE NOT OKAY For many children, the greatest social fear they experience is to be labeled “weird” by their peers. A feeling of belonging is critical to developing a strong sense of self and a proper place in society. The “weird” label usually starts with some easy to perceive difference between the so-called “weirdo” and the general population. In childhood, that difference is often physical in nature.

The kid that’s too tall, too short, wears glasses, is overweight, has a different skin tone, talks with a stutter or an accent, has a physical disability, cries too easily, is too smart and too eager to please the teacher, or has any of a host of others attributes that deviates ever so slightly from the general populace will quickly be labeled — and often ostracized.

Things don’t always improve for the “weird” child. Children who are marginalized for their differences have a more difficult time creating a network around them that helps them grow and take their rightful, responsible place in this world. In the teenage years, “weird” kids don’t usually engage in team sports. They don’t form a posse of friends to hang out with. They may become loners who keep to themselves or outcasts who become social delinquents. Some of the “weird” kids rise above the social stigma of weirdness and truly excel in society and in their career or social arenas — because of, or in spite of, the limitations imposed on the “weird” class. Far too many others will never truly fit in and may, in fact, become societal problems in one form or another.

YOU’RE NOT OKAY; AND I’M NOT OKAY EITHER

News Flash! You’re weird! You may have been labeled that way in your childhood — or, you may have been one of the “in” crowd who was always popular and sought after as a friend. Doesn’t matter. At the end of the day — You’re Weird! Don’t take it too personally. Everybody’s weird. Sometimes it takes a little longer to show — conformity runs amok in childhood so differences that can be hidden usually are — but eventually, your true colors (and mine too) will come through. As the popular French cliché goes — Viva la difference! Why wouldn’t you want to be different? Weird? Strange? Whatever label you prefer. You are different, weird and strange. That’s what makes you the unique individual you are today. If you were the same as everyone, or even the same as anyone, you would be little more than a pawn on the chessboard of life — interchangeable and boring. SAY IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT I’d like to start a campaign right here, right now, where all of us “weirdos” band together and take ownership of the label. We are all members of this race we loosely call “human.” The longer you live on this earth, the more weird attributes you are likely to acquire. There is a standard of beauty that basically applies to the young, fit, uber attractive individuals. Age, time and gravity does a number on these fleeting gifts. Once that happens, guess what — you’re no longer “hot.” You’re “weird.” If you weren’t overweight or otherwise out of shape in your youth, there’s a really good chance that a middle-age lifestyle and hormonal fluctuation will morph your once slender body unto something resembling a baked potato. Again — you are now “weird.” In our youth obsessed culture, with every passage into each new decade (30, 40, 50, 60 (gasp)and beyond) you become decidedly weirder and more out of touch with the current vibe of life. If life has been a bit rough on you, and disease or disability has made you limp, slur your speech or face the world with missing body parts, you are now different (read that as “weird”). If the hard-earned knowledge you gained through years of education and life experience are no longer keeping up with the speed of light technology in the world where you now function every day, you will be looked upon as a “has been” and, you guessed it, you’re “weird.” Since none us ever has or ever will measure up to that elusive ideal image of what a perfect life “should” be, why don’t we all just throw in the towel and admit it. “I’m weird!” (And I’m okay with that) In a thousand ways, we are all weird, different, strange. And we are all perfectly fine with that (Right?) Enjoy your weird self today.