It Takes a Weirdo

It takes a weirdo to do what you do.

Have you ever chatted with someone about their work or passions and just been amazed that that's what they love, and how their brain works?

For me that's engineers. What's the opposite of forte? That's what logic is for me. It baffles me that some minds work with such clarity, order, and efficiency.

I have friends who are in politics, nutrition, technology, recreation, art, event planning, medicine... and their passion and knowledge of their field is outstanding. And not something I easily understand.

During the first week of school, I was walking down the hallway with many of my fellow high school teachers and staff. We were all wearing tie-dye for a welcome back assembly, herding hundreds of students to the gym. Many of the staff were wearing sneakers for the busy day of hustling around and being on our feet to teach.

As I stood in the masses it hit me- it takes a weirdo to do this job. It takes a weirdo to care enough about students and school and the community to give so much energy and effort to teens. To be willing to take pee breaks at designated times, stand in front of a bunch of teenagers and try to convince them not to be on their phones so they can learn something, and to walk them through the painful and exhilarating changes that bring them into adulthood.

And it takes a weirdo to do what you do. To have the passions you have, to care enough about your passion to put in the hard work you do. It takes a weirdo to step into the trenches you step into, to tirelessly face challenges and hope for the better despite daily hurdles. It takes a weirdo to pursue the knowledge that you have, to dedicate yourself so deeply to your craft.

Whether you give so much of yourself to students, the community, the people, progress, the environment, change, the church, beauty, the arts, your children, your grandchildren... it takes a weirdo to do what you do.
And you are just the perfect weirdo for it.
You were designed for it.
Your gifts, passions, and tenacity are needed and oh so valuable.
Go do your weird thing, and do it the way only you can.