I have a severe dislike for how the word weird has been turned into a slur. There was a time society craved what was different and weird. Now we are all expected to put on a uniform front that says everything is fine and blend in with each other. Yeah, that doesn't work for me. I don't blend. Now don't get me wrong, I can mingle and work a room better than a good ole southern politician but I don't try to blend in. I like being different and I like being able to see what makes other people different. I'm different because I know more than I should and I honestly try to show the world there is someone who cares. What makes you different?
We all have our struggles and we all have our emotions and showing them doesn't make you weak or weird. Showing them makes you human and lets other's see being different and being human isn't "weird." I'm human and I struggle a lot as many of you have noticed from my other blog posts. It took a lot for me to share my struggles with taking care of mama. I was taught my whole life to never let people see me falter. Showing pain and hurt were punishable offenses. But I have had so many people tell me how much they appreciate my honesty and openness that I realized it takes more strength to show the world what makes you different than it does to hide it. Different isn't "weird" and you shouldn't be ashamed of showing or telling what makes you different.
Mental illnesses are not "weird" and are not something you should be ashamed of. So very many of us struggle with mental illness. Yes I said us. I have anxiety and I struggle with it almost everyday. I'm not ashamed of that. I have seen, been through, and learned from some very difficult and terrible things. The fact that anxiety is all I have from that is a blessing. Many people think it's taboo to speak about mental health but being honest about it actually helps others understand where you're coming from and why you may act, or see, or do things differently. Don't be ashamed. Don't be scared. It's absolutely okay to be different and it's okay to talk about it. You're not weird.
We all struggle with self doubt. We all struggle with communicating with one another. We all struggle with figuring out the right thing to do. We all struggle and we all struggle differently that doesn't make us "weird" or maybe it does and "weird" is normal. All I know is I like different and different isn't weird. Be who you are and do what makes you happy. To each their own.
TTYS,
Aleena
