I’m a klutz, in every sense of the word. How is that? Well, I’m not the least bit graceful. I have zero sense of rhythm. My lack of coordination is so acute that it might even be entertaining. I’m chronically late. My signature look is tousled hair, no makeup, and probably trying to run to class and check my email at the same time. I lose everything–I’ve probably set the record for “most items found by St. Anthony.” I mean, thank goodness I didn’t lose this article before publishing it!
Now, I’m not telling you all these things to throw a self-deprecatory pity party. Or even to make you laugh (well, maybe that one a little bit). I’ve made this laundry list because they have made me who I am today, a stronger person, rather than someone beat down by all the things she can’t change.
Each and every one of these klutzy attributes have somehow translated into something positive. Does any of this sound like you? If so, read on to find out why, like me, you actually have a strength and not a curse.
1. I’m not graceful
One time in first grade, I ran into a door because I wasn’t looking and got a black eye. While I’d like to leave that in the past, I can’t really say I’ve changed much since then. It’s actually not too uncommon that I will bang my head into my loft or trip over a cord when I get up off the futon. But if nothing else, you will entertain your friends by having this special talent, and, hey, it’s free!
Lesson #1: Being a klutz means you will never be short on funny stories to tell!
2. I have zero sense of rhythm
When I was a toddler, my mom, like many moms, enrolled me in dance lessons.
I enjoyed going, but the teacher always had to take a little extra time with me. At my kindergarten dance recital, legend has it that I faced sideways for the entirety of the dance number so I could copy the girl next to me, and somehow I still got the rhythm wrong. But if I hadn’t been so terrible at tap dancing, I may never have discovered the wonderful world of gymnastics. I gave acrobatic dance, a style of dance similar to floor gymnastics, a shot and soon found that what I lacked in rhythm, I made up for in flexibility. And soon instead of the teacher approaching me, it was me approaching the teacher, because I constantly wanted to learn new tricks.
Lesson #2: Being a klutz might lead you to discover a hidden talent you never knew you had!
3. I’m hilariously uncoordinated
I played soccer for ten years – and by play I mean I ran up and down the field for ninety minutes without ever touching the ball. But do you know what that taught me? I learned that I really, really love to run! Much like with my experience with dance, I found my strength and worked with it. The year after I quit soccer, I went onto run a half marathon.
But I don’t regret all those years of soccer, because without all the laps we had to run, where would I have gotten all my practice running?
Lesson #3: If you’re a klutz, it might mean you don’t fit the mold society puts in place (i.e. everyone playing soccer as a child). Don’t do what everyone else is doing. Do your own thing and you will shine!
4. I’m chronically late
I’m really bad at keeping track of time. Yes, I know this is not going to be condoned in the professional world. But hear me out. Some (though not all) of the times I’ve been late, I’ve had some unforgettable encounters. One time it meant running into and chatting with my professor on the way to her class, which we were both running late to. Another time, when I was late to sign up for my P.E. classes freshman year, I ended up in the only classes that were leftover, and in the first one, Running for Fitness and Competition, I ended up meeting three wonderful people whom I now call my running buddies and still run with to this day.
Lesson #4: Klutzes can meet some pretty awesome people that they’d miss if they were on time.
5. My signature look is tossled hair, no makeup, and probably trying to run to class and check my email at the same time.
Why? Well, that’s quite simple. It’s because I forget to set an alarm or, if I do, I just don’t wake up to it. But in the meantime, I’ve learned to be extremely low maintenance. By being a scatterbrain, I’ve had to lower my perfectionistic standards because I simply don’t have time. Last year my friend woke me up nearly every day for our 8:20 physics class; this year I have getting ready in five minutes flat down to a science.
Lesson #5: Klutzes make wonderful minutemen kind of friends. You can have so many more spontaneous adventures when you learn to get ready in a flash. And you can get so much more done, too!
6. I lose everything.
This one’s the real kicker. In my short nineteen years on this Earth, I’ve made an enormous impact…that is, in how much I’ve managed to lose during that time. You name it, I’ve lost it! An iPod in an airplane seat pocket? Yep. A digital camera in a bathroom stall? Been there. An iPhone on a beach? Done that. A student ID in a garbage can? Check that one off. A class ring off of a car windshield? Why, of course! I could keep going, but you get my drift. The thing is, though, I haven’t really learned my lesson yet. I still lose everything, and I don’t know how to stop losing things. Here’s where that “learning to live with the things you can’t change” part truly comes in. Every time I’ve lost something has taught me to have hope, to have faith. And yes, this kind of hope and faith is somewhat menial, because after all the things I lose are just material goods, and they are replaceable. Each thing I’ve lost has served as a sort of mystery I’ve had to solve, and after all is said and done and I’ve looked everywhere, at the end of the day, I have to just leave it in God’s hands. I can ask St. Anthony to put in a good word for me (and he always does), but I’ve learned that sometimes, that’s really all I can do–which is really quite humbling. The same thing comes into play in the bigger things in life: like whether you will get a job that you really want or whether a close relative will survive his or her battle with an illness. Sometimes all you can have is hope. And when you’re a klutz, you learn to have that.
Lesson #6: Yeah, I just said it, being a klutz comes in clutch for dealing with life. Why? Because klutzes learn to just let it be!
To all you klutzes out there, I urge to embrace your klutziness! You will be so much happier! And when you are not, just remember this prayer. It’s called the serenity prayer, and it reminds me every day to be okay with who I am. It goes like this:
“May God grant me
The serenity to accept the things I can’t change
The courage to change what I can
And the wisdom to know the difference.”