Am I weird? Yes, yes you are.

“How terribly sad it was that people are made in such a way that they get used to something as extraordinary as living.” 
― Jostein Gaarder, The Solitaire Mystery

So one especially serene Sunday evening some interesting thoughts decided to visit my utterly unexpecting sleepy brain, as they so often do. I decided to pretend I’m a famous writer and go click away on my laptop in the corner café with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc and a bowl of Tuscan soup. Now this may sound like a perfectly normal evening to all you people out there, however for me this is especially awkward due to the fact that I’m a weirdo and I don’t feel comfortable in unordinary social situations when I’m alone. So that got me thinking…what is ‘weird’?

Can we all just take a moment and think about how weird the world is! And what a bunch of nut heads live in it! Everything around is strange and amazing…somewhere along the road we forget to be surprised by the fascinating nature of the world. There is a wonderful example presented by writer and philosopher Jostein Gaarder in his book ‘Sophie’s World’.  Imagine a normal family home. The father is having his breakfast, mother is making coffee, the small child is unhappily poking at its mashed peas. Suddenly the child looks up and discovers the father to be floating above the ceiling. The child starts to laugh, point in excitement and scream “Look, daddy is flying!”. The mother would probably get a heart attack and have to be rushed to the nearest hospital. Why? Because the child is still learning about the world. Every new experience is more strange than the previous, therefore a ‘flying daddy’ is no more strange than a moving mechanic giant (car) or angry box that eats your clothes (washing machine). But if you think about it, flying people are not that much more strange than some of the modern achievements in science and technology. So when did we stop seeing the wonder around us? When did the ‘strange’ become the  ‘normal’? What does strange even mean?... I suppose people have come to describe it as something they are not used to. Foreign customs, the opposite sex, older generations, historical events from other times, people with different tastes, all these things may seem strange to us, either because we don’t interact with these things in our everyday life or they are not something common within our society. (I know the opposite sex is both of those things, but no one can disagree that it is an unsolvable mystery ;)) But why are some people considered 'weird' and others 'normal'? I believe it’s because there is a certain group of people who don’t accept the strangeness in the world and constantly question it, instead of adjusting to the social norms and conditions. These people want to push the limits, gain insight into the fabric of the world, discover, ask, answer, find, create, destroy, dig, dig, dig…or simply find the mystery behind some of life’s most difficult and (yet simple) questions. This is a noble quest in my opinion. I can’t exactly say I’m one of those people, though I may be on the road to being one. In any case I never stop being amazed, surprised or weird. It’s one of my many talents.

I know this is not the only definition of weird…but as I have been called ‘weird’ my whole life, I wanted to provide a reasonable justification for myself as well as perhaps tell others that being this way is a great gift. It may not make you especially happy, but it’s a hell of a lot better than being close-minded, ignorant and ‘blissful’.  Ignorance is not bliss. Bliss is the knowledge that you are unique in the world; the wonderful feelings you get when you solve a problem, contemplate, think and learn, perfect yourself and help those around you. So go to school, kids!

In conclusion it should be said that most people live somewhere in the grey area....there’s a little weird in all of us and unfortunately, we all must adjust to societies norms (I can’t go to work in my duck suit, damnit). However we must remember to stay open minded and that not everyone was given the same opportunities as we were.

Love&kisses,
Svet