The Gift of Not Fitting In

I wrote the title of this blog weeks ago, but haven't had the chance to sit down and write.
It is a recurring thought that I have always had.
This time brought on by a recent episode of the Tim Ferriss Show.

Growing up, I struggled to fit in.
It was a painful period of my life.
My older brother was athletic, so I tried to be like him.
I played football and got the tar kicked out of me.
Desperate to fit in, I played for years. A glutton for punishment.

On the other hand, I was smart, but I wasn't a nerd!
There was no way I was going to fit in with that crowd, either.
So I rebelled against my nerdy nature by letting my wild side show.
I fell in love with art and the punk rock music scene.
But even in a world of outsiders, I always felt on the outside.

I spent a long time thinking that I was cursed.
Doomed to spend eternity beyond the pale.
Until I finally realized that opportunity was all around me.
Yes, the curse is the gift.

Not fitting in means you don't play by the rules.
You aren't entrenched in the system.
You are able to see things differently.
You are able to forge new paths.

Not fitting in has another advantage, especially in education.
It gives you perspective.
You have empathy for the students "on the outside."
When all others have counted them out, you give them a shot.

And that's when the extraordinary happens.

In fact, that's the only time extraordinary things can happen.
When something occurs outside of the ordinary.
And then the outside becomes the inside.
And so it goes...