When Weird Becomes The New Normal

I freely admit the word weird has been used to describe me, many different times in my life. I've been okay with the fact I'm not like everyone else for a very long time.

Here is an example. Early in our relationship, my wife and I would be walking in a public place and I would pretend to fall down. For absolutely no reason other than to embarrass her. I did some theater in my life and had an unusual amount of stage combat and stage falling training. I figured the best way to use these skills was in such a way as falling down in a public place. I'm still really surprised some days she never broke up with me.

I don't randomly fall in public places anymore, but it persists. My kids understand it. When one of my daughters asks me why I'm being weird before I can answer one of her sisters will say, "That's just how dad is."

I always thought part of what I can offer this world is some wit and humor to make even the most boring situations a little more fun. But what if my true purpose is to be free to have fun, embarrass myself a little and let others see that it is okay to be different than the rest?

We are living in a time where people are criticized for being different. People are being persecuted or bullied for being different. Who is to say what is normal? 

A quick search for quotes around weird being normal comes up with some great lines:

  1. Life is too short to be normal, stay weird.
  2. Maybe your weird is my normal. Who's to say?
  3. Sometimes I pretend to be normal. But it gets boring. So I go back to being me.
  4. I'd rather be weird and happy than normal and miserable.
  5. Normality is a paved road: it's comfortable to walk, but no flowers grow.
  6. I tried to be normal once. Worst two minutes of my life.
  7. There are no normal people, there are just different kinds of weird.

Everyone feels like they are weird, or they are an outsider at some point. Everyone feels like they just wish they were normal and want to fit in. I say, as long as you aren't hurting anyone by your words or your actions, be who you are most comfortable being. There is a place for all of us in the world. 

Johnny-Depp-Everyone-is-weird


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