Weird Kids

For a long time I have wanted to write a blog post about weird kids. Growing up, I was a weird kid. My family moved around a lot and I was always kind of an outlier. I look back and realize I was Sue Heck (for those of you that watch The Middle). Always optimistic, but just goofy. Also, my place to hang out in high school was the Science Resource Center. No, really.

So last year at school I met, sort of, Weird Girl. We all know Weird Girl; every school has one. My particular Weird Girl spent the early morning before school started walking around the halls not really talking or interacting with anyone. I always saw her and said hello, but she never said hello back. Sometimes she almost smiled, though. I kind of worried about Weird Girl not having any friends so I always made it a point to LOOK for her everyday and by the end of the year she was actually making eye contact. this year, I didn't see her the first few weeks--then I realized why. Weird Girl has friends! She found her place in the vastness of our 3000 student high school. Today, I saw her walking home with 3 other people, talking, laughing--it was awesome to see.

Weird Girl was replaced this year by Weird Boy. Weird Boy spends his early mornings sitting on the end of a bench outside my hallway reading a book by himself. One day I stopped and asked Weird Boy what he was reading and he almost jumped out of his skin. Guess no one had asked him that before. Last week I began to notice--Weird Boy is sharing his bench with others, who all sit and silently read books. They have found a home and each other. They have found their place.

We are all looking for our "place" in the world. Maybe it is just a bench of like minded people, but it is a "place". Help somebody find their "place". Maybe you'll make friend in the process! But please, public schools, KEEP those programs that ALLOW all us to find our true place. Fine Arts, Career Prep, and Computer classes are always on the chopping block. If not for them, I wouldn't have found my "place" :)