I look like a perfectly ‘normal’ individual, I mention that I don’t stand out in a crowd because It’s pertinent to the subject at hand. With that being said for most of my life my friends have often commented on my “strangeness”. The best way I’ve heard it put to me was “You are the weirdest guy I’ve ever known. I’m not saying that’s a bad thing, I’m just saying that you’re the strangest person I know”. At the time I smiled knowingly and just answered that I understood. I had lived it long enough to know it was simply part of who I am.
Walking to the beat of a different drum isn’t something that I consciously chose to do. I’d be more inclined to say “it’s simply me” or “it’s how my brain works”. Most times I manage to keep my strangeness to myself but every so often it slips out at social gatherings and I get individuals staring at me with a bemused look on their faces.
I was at a friends birthday party several weeks ago. Three of us were having a nice conversation; her brother, her cousin and myself. Her cousin, an attractive and intelligent young woman was talking about a past relationship and how it had deteriorated badly due to her partners drug addiction problems.
As she finished talking about her situation she ended with “You know I’d just like to have a normal life, buy a house, get married and have kids.” Without hesitation out of my mouth came the words “You know nobody is normal.” which was followed by a brief pause in the conversation. In that split second it looked like the words I had blurted out registered slowly on her face in a flicker of introspection. All three of us returned to our meals and continued on with a different conversation.
I can honestly say I never understood this fascination with being “normal”. I’m not suggesting one should go out of their way simply to be strange. However I do think people should be confident enough to say I’m not normal, I’m myself and I’m happy like that. Deep down this feeling of wanting to be normal I suspect is the same as the one that makes people want to be accepted as a member of a larger group. It’s probably the reason why people that are in the group think you’re strange for not wanting to be in it.
Rather than attempting to achieve being “normal” I suggest you try to be content. Being at peace and content with yourself will bring you more happiness in your short lifetime than can ever come from trying to be normal. So to all the freaks, weirdos, geeks, wallflowers and otherwise outcast: I hope that you’ll lead by example. Be humble and smile knowing that you are strange. Stand up and be counted, even if it’s awkward for the normal people. You’ll build amazing friendships and be surrounded by real human beings who think for themsleves. You’ll have the pleasure of living interesting, irrational, passionate, crazy discussions and situations with them. Along the way you’ll probably live to experience some amazing highs and some dark lows. You simply have to remember that every living thing struggles in one way or another.
I do feel like I should warn you though, not many of the people you meet are likely be normal….
mtl_dokkaebi.
