So I get out of my car, and I walk through the parking lot to my school. I am in my combat boots, my metric rody t-shirt, and my pink tutu. I feel like I am ready for the world, and people stop and stare at me as I strut past. Then as I am about to reach the entrance a group of girls started laughing. Then the leader of the group walked up to me and said, “You are so weird” Then I replied, “Thank You”.

You see my response wasn’t out of sarcasm but out of jubilation. I felt as if her remark was granting a title and bestowing upon me a crown so I would forever be known as Ms. Weird. But I knew in my heart of hearts that wasn’t her intention.

Society has the desire to point out differences in the individual. And if one doesn’t attempt to fall in line with everyone else, they are seen as weird. We are then, pushed into inescapable, padded cells called stereotypes. We are given numbers instead of names; turning high school into a prison. Peers morph into prosecutors, judges, and jury, and the outcasts are treated like criminals who are punished in forms of ridicule and violence.

When I was thirteen years old, I learned that my classmate had a knife, and he was planning to kill a teacher.
Fink
Rat
Snitch

I thought I was doing the right thing.
Fink
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Snitch

I was just trying to help her
Fink
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Snitch

Why are they doing this?
Fink
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Snitch

I just want them to stop
Fink
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Snitch

Stop!
Fink
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Snitch

Please!
Fink
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Snitch
Fink
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Snitch
Fink
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Snitch

Silence….
When did good become bad and bad become good? When we are children it is practically a sin to be a copycat. Inform me when copying transitioned from being a bad thing to a good thing. Why is it when we were children people constantly told us “be yourself”, but when we got older we were told, “just try to blend in”? Talk about mixed messages.

Explain to me why people who appear on MTV and the tabloids are treated like royalty for being wild and outrageous; but when I want to show an ounce of individuality, you treat me like an “untouchable” from India? What makes them any better than me?

Why is he called a “hero” while I’m a “whore”? Why is he more desired, while I am treated like a dog, who can’t even sit in the cafeteria with other human beings? How are we different? The girls…. they hunted me, they cornered me, and they beat me for my crime. Which was just loving someone who made me believe they loved me too, and that was the end of me. How were we different?

This is my story and your story. These are the stories of young people across our globe who have been labeled as weird. But I am proud to be weird, because weird does not mean strange.

W- Willing to be what God has created you to be.

E- Effective enough to give others the courage to be themselves.

I -Individual, I will not change myself to fit a mold.

R- Remembered- Others will remember me as a person who is brave enough to be herself.

D- Destined for greatness

See I don’t care if you talk about me, because they talked about Jesus for being willing, effective, an individual, remembered, and destined for greatness. I am brave enough to be weird, yet I am terrified of being cowardice, oppressed, objectifying, and lost; or what you may call C.O.O.L. So if you call me weird I will continue to thank you and thank you and thank you and thank you. I will to wear my combat boots with my tutu because I am honored to be weird.