Hey, you.....
Yeah you......
Guess what?
Chicken Butt.
Did you laugh? Did you giggle? Did you find it childish? Did you find it dumb? Did you find it beneath you? Why?
Why do we call humor like that childish humor? Do we really mean that it is humor that only a child would find funny? Or do we really mean it is humor that is beneath us as adults? I find it funny, every single time my 6 year old does that joke I laugh. I don't fake laugh to keep him happy, I honest to God laugh it. Most don't laugh, he does do the joke every single time I talk to him, without fail. However, I still laugh every single time because he always laughs at it, and because he is getting better and better at timing it. He waits till we are part way into a conversation, and then makes the joke so I am caught off guard and realize at the last second that I once again fell for it.
Why do I bring this up? Because I am tired of being told what I, as an adult, must find funny. I am tired of being told what I, as an adult, must be interested in. I am tired of being told what I, as an adult, must be. Are you sensing a theme in my posts yet? Why do we allow society to tell us how we are supposed to feel, think, act, dress, laugh, and be? Why do we strive so hard to fit in with everyone else, and then mock those who are 100% themselves? Ever heard the phrase "damn hippies" or "whats wrong with those goth kids?" or "could those nerds be any weirder" or even "if she put on makeup she would go further" or "If he was a bit more manly I bet women would want him". You've heard every single one of these in your life time and I bet most of you didn't bat an eye at hearing at least one if not more.
So what is so wrong about being different? Well, it's because for the rest of the world who fits in the box, you become unpredictable, and no one likes something that they can't predict. Those who don't fit in the box are like a tiny loose dog in the front yard to those who are in the box. Ever chase a tiny loose dog in the front yard? Every single time you think you are close enough to grab the dog it changes it path in a completely random direction and you are left scrambling to catch back up. No one likes that feeling, no one likes trying to catch something they can't figure out. In the same vein, no one in the box likes trying to figure out those outside the box because their minds are formed to the box so anything outside just does not compute.
Now box's come in all different shapes and colors. I mentioned hippies and goths and nerds, yet even those groups often are their own boxes and look down on anyone who doesn't fit into their specific box. Have you ever seen a group of nerds when they figure out that someone in their group disagrees with something they like? Watch what happens with a group of nerds who are all Star Wars fanboys find out that one person in the group thinks Star Wars isn't as amazing as they do. Or watch what happens when someone in a goth group is caught listening to a Taylor Swift song and singing along. We all find boxes that we try to shove ourselves in, and allow these boxes to govern every decision we make in life.
Why do we find boxes? Because there is comfort in community. Because there is peace in having fewer decisions to make. Because there is joy in knowing there are others just like you. Because no one wants to be alone or outcast. So we figure out when we are young who we really are, our teachers pound that into us from a young age that we should be ourselves no matter what. Once we figure that out we find the other kids that are just like us, or similar enough to be compatible at least. Then as time goes on we all find ways to merge our likes and dislikes with those we spend time with till we fit comfortably in a box of our own making and we stay there. We define ourselves by that box for years to come. Then we get older, our friends and surroundings change and we fit ourselves into a new box that often lasts till we are old and don't care anymore. We do the same things, with the same friends, on the same schedules for years and call it the american dream. It's how movies and TV portray successful people and their lives. It is yet another box that we fit ourselves into out of our need to belong.
So what am I supposed to do when I don't really fit into any boxes? I like Star Wars AND Star Trek, I enjoy screamo and pop music, I love nature and escaping yet I am completely at home in the city, and I have friends but no one that I have really any regular plans with. I do not fit into anyone's box and I am trying to okay with that. Yet the entire world tells me that I need to find a box to crawl into and stay.
I don't want to be in a box, I want to be myself, but no one ever actually accepts me for me...............
Yeah you......
Guess what?
Chicken Butt.
Did you laugh? Did you giggle? Did you find it childish? Did you find it dumb? Did you find it beneath you? Why?
Why do we call humor like that childish humor? Do we really mean that it is humor that only a child would find funny? Or do we really mean it is humor that is beneath us as adults? I find it funny, every single time my 6 year old does that joke I laugh. I don't fake laugh to keep him happy, I honest to God laugh it. Most don't laugh, he does do the joke every single time I talk to him, without fail. However, I still laugh every single time because he always laughs at it, and because he is getting better and better at timing it. He waits till we are part way into a conversation, and then makes the joke so I am caught off guard and realize at the last second that I once again fell for it.
Why do I bring this up? Because I am tired of being told what I, as an adult, must find funny. I am tired of being told what I, as an adult, must be interested in. I am tired of being told what I, as an adult, must be. Are you sensing a theme in my posts yet? Why do we allow society to tell us how we are supposed to feel, think, act, dress, laugh, and be? Why do we strive so hard to fit in with everyone else, and then mock those who are 100% themselves? Ever heard the phrase "damn hippies" or "whats wrong with those goth kids?" or "could those nerds be any weirder" or even "if she put on makeup she would go further" or "If he was a bit more manly I bet women would want him". You've heard every single one of these in your life time and I bet most of you didn't bat an eye at hearing at least one if not more.
So what is so wrong about being different? Well, it's because for the rest of the world who fits in the box, you become unpredictable, and no one likes something that they can't predict. Those who don't fit in the box are like a tiny loose dog in the front yard to those who are in the box. Ever chase a tiny loose dog in the front yard? Every single time you think you are close enough to grab the dog it changes it path in a completely random direction and you are left scrambling to catch back up. No one likes that feeling, no one likes trying to catch something they can't figure out. In the same vein, no one in the box likes trying to figure out those outside the box because their minds are formed to the box so anything outside just does not compute.
Now box's come in all different shapes and colors. I mentioned hippies and goths and nerds, yet even those groups often are their own boxes and look down on anyone who doesn't fit into their specific box. Have you ever seen a group of nerds when they figure out that someone in their group disagrees with something they like? Watch what happens with a group of nerds who are all Star Wars fanboys find out that one person in the group thinks Star Wars isn't as amazing as they do. Or watch what happens when someone in a goth group is caught listening to a Taylor Swift song and singing along. We all find boxes that we try to shove ourselves in, and allow these boxes to govern every decision we make in life.
Why do we find boxes? Because there is comfort in community. Because there is peace in having fewer decisions to make. Because there is joy in knowing there are others just like you. Because no one wants to be alone or outcast. So we figure out when we are young who we really are, our teachers pound that into us from a young age that we should be ourselves no matter what. Once we figure that out we find the other kids that are just like us, or similar enough to be compatible at least. Then as time goes on we all find ways to merge our likes and dislikes with those we spend time with till we fit comfortably in a box of our own making and we stay there. We define ourselves by that box for years to come. Then we get older, our friends and surroundings change and we fit ourselves into a new box that often lasts till we are old and don't care anymore. We do the same things, with the same friends, on the same schedules for years and call it the american dream. It's how movies and TV portray successful people and their lives. It is yet another box that we fit ourselves into out of our need to belong.
So what am I supposed to do when I don't really fit into any boxes? I like Star Wars AND Star Trek, I enjoy screamo and pop music, I love nature and escaping yet I am completely at home in the city, and I have friends but no one that I have really any regular plans with. I do not fit into anyone's box and I am trying to okay with that. Yet the entire world tells me that I need to find a box to crawl into and stay.
I don't want to be in a box, I want to be myself, but no one ever actually accepts me for me...............
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