“Weirdos”
Growing up, I was a clean-cut, straight-laced mamma’s boy.
Growing up, I played sports and collected GI Joe’s and listened to Top 40 music.
Growing up, I judged an entire group of people. I want to apologize to all of them. Never vocally (well, sometimes vocally among friends), I called them names like “weirdos”.
I don’t know what they call themselves (I guess that’s kind of the point), but I’m referring to the non conformists; the girls with the pink hair and the boys with the spiked Mohawks. I’m referring to the kids wearing black mesh and nylon in the summer time when all the other kids are wearing shorts.
Today I’m a dad. When I bring my son to public places, I find myself sighing with relief and relaxing just a bit more when I see a group of these “weirdos” walk by.
I pay attention to these things. These are the people who most consistently give my son a warm smile or a quiet, “right on, little man” when they notice his flappy little quirks. These are the people most likely just to mind their own business and not judge.
Guess who is the most likely to tap their friend on the shoulder and point and snicker? Yep, the clean-cut, Top 40 listeners wearing shorts… the kids like me.
Good for you. I was one of those kids. I was a freak, a weirdo, a punk, a skin… and I loved every moment of it. You never grow out of that, you just turn into an adult and sometimes a parent. I have 3 kids, 2 with autism (1 severe, 1 moderate). Growing up being judged by others because of the way I looked or the music I listen to, gave me a great perspective on life. I am very in sync with my kiddos, people always comment on how I make it look easy… LOL, if they only knew. I follow my kids cues, that is the secret. I know they are fine just the way they are. If they need to flap away, or make their sounds, I am cool with all of that, because I know that is how they function in this big wide world. I am with the school of my kiddos need acceptance not a cure. Thanks for your post, made my day… and you know what, you are totally right. Those kids, those weirdos, freaks, punks or whatever they want to call themselves… they are not judging your kid, they are very accepting…
It is truly amazing how time and age change our perspectives isn't it? I was one of those clean cut kids for the most part in school. In my early 20s I went through a goth phase and that's when my perspective changed a bit on those I had judged. Now, I'm 38, with pink spiked hair and son with a mohawk, and as I watch my child interacting with others, it is almost always those "weirdos" that accept him for who he is!