Picture this: you’re sitting around a table playing a simple game of uno and a girl starts honking like a goose. What do you do next? Do you A) awkwardly chuckle and move on, B) look at her with disdain and ask her why she would do such a thing, or do you C) Honk back?
Now, if you chose option B you may get a quick monologue about how overstimulation of senses drives her to honking. Then, she would flip her wavy brown hair and say, “That is the least of my weird, just wait and see.” After this, you may look at her perplexed and think, “huh I thought she was normal.”
In the days preceding you will see her, and she might ask you “What flavor homework do you have?” Or, you may glance at her across the dinner table and she is spreading butter on bread with the pads of her thumb.
Now, if you see her in class or you’re meeting her for the first time she seems personable, charming even. She will ask you what you do for work and about your family. You may talk about music or movies or books.
Little do you know she has a little secret in her pocket. She is actually so super weird!
Okay the secret is out, SHE is ME.
To test the validity of my weirdness, I asked some questions to those who know me the best!
Question 1: What were your misconceptions about me?
· “You were quiet and introverted, now I know that is not the case!”
· “I thought you were a pick-me girl.”
· “I thought you were normal.”
· “I thought you were a basic, party girl.”
· “I did NOT think you were a theater girly.”
Question 2: What was the moment you realized that I was weird?
· “When we bonded over wanting to eat air fresheners.”
· “When I heard one of your little noises.”
· “Freshman year you would always go: blaghhhhhhh!!!!”
· “When you honked.”
· “When you said you wanted to eat the light fixture, I knew you were a freak!”
· “The first time we ever played Bananagrams.”
Question 3: What percent weird versus serious am I?
· “40 % weird, 60%” serious.”
· “70% weird 30% serious.”
· “100% both!”
· “10% weird, 30% serious… I am not sure what the other 60% is.”
Question 4: Do you wish I was less weird?
· “NO!”
· “NO IT MAKES MY LIFE SO MUCH MORE FUN AND I HAVE SO MANY KIM-ISMS.”
· “Since you are so openly weird it has brought out weird parts of me and those around you- it is infectious.”
· “NO, not in the slightest cause honestly that would be ridiculous.”
· “No, that would be so boring. I love you.”
· “Never ever, I think your weirdness makes you, you.”
“Since you are so openly weird it has brought out weird parts of me and those around you- it is infectious.”
As proven by my qualitative research, being weird is awesome. It is kind of even sneakier when people may not know you are weird right away. It lets you surprise them with little made-up words, dancing in public, or pantomiming eating a certain food to see if you are hungry for it.
At this point, I like to show my weirdness right away. If someone cannot vibe with it, we simply cannot go on. Do not get me wrong, I am ALL IN for the late-night deep conversations about the meaning of life, love and childhood, but my best relationships are with the people who love me for both my intuitiveness and my quirkiness.
This is your sign to let go every once in a while. Ask someone if they have ever tried coconut meat or start growling at them in a silly way. Embrace your weird!