Quirky

I've been working in a kindergarten this year, covering for a coworker who's on medical leave until the new year. The school I'm at is a solid 45-minute drive from where I live; good music and a warm coffee is what gets me through the drive most mornings.

Getting bored with my own collection of CDs, I opted to listen to CBC 2 Radio Morning. While I've always found their afternoon drive program hit-and-miss, I thought I would give the morning program a chance. And so far, so good!

Anyway, recently, they started doing this thing called the Sweet Mix. Listeners can submit three songs that they think go really well together, and the host will play the mix in the morning. Early last week, someone submitted a sweet mix that they dedicated to 'quirky friends' (each sweet mix has a dedication), and it became the Quirky Friend Mix. As the radio host described the 'quirky friend', I thought to myself, "I think I am the quirky friend." I can't remember the exact qualifiers the radio host listed off, but generally speaking, it was me.

Someone who 'does their own thing', was a basic descriptor. I wouldn't say I fall into the extreme end of that qualifier (i.e. eccentric), but I definitely act and live in a way that seems to be more of the exception rather than the rule. I'm an introvert. I think linearly and literally most of the time. I choose the eco-friendly way to do things moreso than what's just trendy. I liked math when I was in school. I prefer comfort over the newest trend in fashion. I have a corny-pun type sense of humour. I'm a picky eater. I like Pachelbel's Canon in D. ...I'm sure I could go on.

Most of the time, none of this bothers me. It's who I am. Really, it's who I've been for thirty years. And I like a lot of who I am. Still, some of my quirky traits land me in socially awkward conversations, afford me interesting looks from others, as well as having to accept that some people just don't get it.

I can't be that far out in left field, cuz I have friends--friends who are normal, even! Ha! ...And they may not care about recycling the stray pop can that landed on the front yard in the night. And they probably like to eat at more restaurants than I do. And they were probably better in phys ed than me. And, no, they don't always get it. But it's not like I hide my 'quirkiness'. Regardless of it all, my friends accept me. Presumably, if they didn't, they wouldn't hang out with me. They probably accept me more than I accept myself some days.

I am the quirky friend. And I think I'm okay with that.


Part of the Quirky Friend Sweet Mix, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010