On Being Different

 

 

 

A FEW THOUGHTS THIS MORNING:
ON BEING “DIFFERENT”

Just call me “different.” My guess is, if you’re one of my friends, you’re a little bit different, too. Let’s agree on something. Let’s be proud of being different, shall we?

I don’t like fads. I don’t care about trends. I don’t concern myself much with what’s popular. I have no idea what an “influencer” is, or what that even means. I don’t look to strangers to tell me what to eat, what to drink, what to wear, what to buy, and especially not what to think.

To me, joy in life is simple. Happiness can be found in simple things. For me, it’s lots of free stuff. Browsing a bookstore. An interesting conversation. A cup of good coffee sitting next to the fireplace. Exercising. Holding the hand of a senior. Petting a dog or a cat. Listening to a great podcast with creative guests. Hearing my favorite song in a public place and wishing they’d crank it up. Even a moment of silence, all alone, in peace, reflecting, can be a happy time. Yeah okay, I’m different.

I can’t imagine setting foot in a popular nightclub or doing what millions of younger people of the next generation do. If that makes me seem old or ancient, then so be it. If that makes me a “boomer,” or it screams “get off my lawn,” then yeah — get the fuck off my lawn. I want no part of your fake autotune, or your hipster clubs, or your $600 bottle service. I can’t imagine any experience being more empty and joyless.

How many of you reading this used to go to parties — maybe it was in college or sometime in your past — and you’d find the most interesting time was seeing what albums the host listened to, or what books were up on the shelf? Maybe it was that cool person you talked to for 5 minutes. Yeah, we were different then. And, we’re just as different now.

Call us old-fashioned, but we preferred things of substance. Spontaneous moments with real meaning. Not possessions. Not fancy stuff intended to impress people we don’t know. Fads never last. After time, what’s popular now becomes a punch line. Just look at fashion, hair styles, music, or anything else that’s “trendy” now. It’s tomorrow’s embarrassment.

The most valuable things never go out of style.

Intellectual curiosity. Talent. Honestly. Kindness. Compassion. Love.

Everyone who sees this picture will probably understand the space and time and what happened on that path. The lesson is in how we fill that space and time in our own lives that matters and can be monumental.