That’s right. You. Reading this blog. You’re weird. But then again, the weirdest guy I know is writing this blog. And thank God, too! Aren’t you glad that we aren’t all the SAME? I am just amazed at how diverse, how ornate, how random and intricate the people of this world are. My wife was telling me about a couple she overheard at her work arguing about whether there were any truly ugly people in the world. Well, I’ll tell you. There are ugly people in this world. I know. I’ve seen them. But that’s okay. If they weren’t ugly, the rest of us wouldn’t be so dog-gone good looking. Okay, okay, I may be pushing my luck to call myself good looking. But my point is I know some ugly people. And I know some ugly people who use it in a powerful way. That’s right. They put people off guard and break down defenses and refuse to intimidate. They make me laugh until I cry and make my head spin to think that what is so beautiful inside makes me totally forget how ugly they are on the outside. And I know some pretty people that make me want to gag sometimes. Nuff said.
The point is this, we’re different. We’re weird. We all are. But it’s how we handle our differences that make us either great or annoying.
There are some who try to use differences to separate, to alienate, and to segregate. (Can I get an Amen?) They use their uniqueness as a means of leverage in order to get more for themselves, claiming victim status because of how they are made. Can you believe that? As if your peculiarity makes you a victim. Please. That’s a blessing, baby. It’s our different opinions, our different perspectives that give us value. Your uniqueness was given to you as a clue to what you can CONTRIBUTE not what you are entitled to GET. Use your weird self to educate, to elevate, and to liberate! (Ah – hah!) As my friend Scott says, “Don’t hate. Cooperate.”
Here's what another weird guy had to say about it.
I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.
I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."
I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.
I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.
I have a dream today.
This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.
-- Martin Luther King, Jr.
That speech always makes me cry. Good post!
ReplyDeleteFantastic! I get goose bumps everytime I read that!
ReplyDeleteGood post. I knew you were smart. :). You never cease to amaze me. I'm lucky to call you 'brother'. Glad you've decided to blog. I enjoy have an insight into your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHere is a thought. If we are talking wierd, I have a scenario for you. I say that the state of ugly has been in transition throughout the years. What if, what we perceive to be ugly is in reality, beauty? What if, individuals that we would consider to be good looking, were looked upon as being "ugly" or different in the beginning.(There are more "ugly" people than good looking people.)These individuals were a minority and, over time, they altered our preception of beauty.They used their uniqueness to gain pity, then acceptance. Now through advertising and media they have become the "goal".
ReplyDeleteThey are still the minority.
I would not need to make any effort to be like everyone else. I must work and strive to stand out, to dress differently, to fix my hair and make my apperence stand out when I am surrounded by others. That being said, the people that we consider to be "ugly" are actually beautiful. It is the "good looking" people that are strangers in the world.