The Importance of a Word: It’s okay to be an Oddball
Eccentricity is the word of the hour for me. What does this word describe about someone? Does it mean a person is not normal? Some may even say crazy, but for me, an eccentric person is undeniably original. The truth is, without eccentricity, the world would be a lovely place. Life would be drastically different from how it is today. My goal is to help you gain a better understanding of the word eccentricity.
To achieve my goal of creating a better understanding of the word, I will start by getting into its signification. So, what does this word mean? According to the Oxford English Dictionary, eccentricity is a “behaviour that people think is strange or unusual; the quality of being unusual and different from others.” It is important not to think that one is a lunatic. We are all human, but it does not mean we have similar behaviours. I believe eccentricity means one is unique or unlike any other. In other words, eccentricity is creativity and genius.
For many years, we have probably heard of some famous people who exhibit eccentricity to a tea. For example, Oscar Wilde showed his creativity by decorating his room with sunflowers, peacock feathers, and bright blue china. Wilde was considered to be extremely weird during the victorian era. We also have the likes of Albert Einstein. I mean, he’s the genius who ate a grasshopper off the ground. He also got tobacco for his pipe by collecting cigarettes from the street. And then there’s Van Gogh, a sensational post-impressionist painter who decided to cut off his ear. We have to look at how these people impacted the world even though their actions were unusual. For example, if Einstein wasn’t eccentric, do you all think we would have light bulbs today? Therefore, some actions of eccentric people led to the transformation of the whole world.
The word has also significantly impacted my life. It does not mean I am Einstein; however, my distinct originality can be comparable to Einstein’. He was over curious and passionate; thus, I reflect him on that grounds. I grew up in a very strict household. My father was very abusive towards everyone in the family. My parents divorced when I was aged 12, due to my father’s abusive behaviour. From there on till adulthood, my siblings and I were raised by my mother.
My parents divorce significantly affected my life. Being the first son in my family, I had to be a role model for my siblings, but there was an unusual thing about myself. I was always in love with the arts. The dance was my favorite art, which enabled me to cope with childhood problems. The passion for dancing aided me to receive a ton of backlash. Dancing was something unusual for many guys who grew up in an Afro-Caribbean culture. Parents in Afro-Caribbean culture expected their children to engage in “manly” things like football and military professions. However, I had to defy the norms since I had a passion for dancing. And with me being effeminate didn’t help the hate against me.
Nonetheless, I kept dancing. During the summer of sixth-grade year, my mother put me in my very first dance class at a dance studio. I loved dancing, and it was crazy since I danced when walking or during whatever I did. After enrolling in the dancing class for a year, I was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. I had to learn how to carry tasks such as self-insulin injection, count carbs, and checking blood sugar. My social life was adversely affected since nobody wanted to interact with a dancing, diabetic, and feminine like person.
However, I still made my mom proud by performing well in school, even though that was the only thing she was delighted about from me. My family, peers, and even some teachers made me feel so bad about how I behaved. One day my mother hurt me by asking, “When are you going to act like a real man?’. When I joined high school, my dancing technique was immaculate. My dance teacher knew I was unique, but she was very kind to me, unlike other people. The high school environment provided a turning point in my life.
Our school was hosting an award ceremony, and I was invited for some reason. I was occupied with thoughts, “Who would want to congratulate me? People hate me!”. During the ceremony, most students were awarded for exceptional grades or for being great at sports. I was not comfortable and felt the organizer was only pointing at my weaknesses. I decided to leave the ceremony, but a familiar voice called out my name. It was my dance teacher. She recognized me with a dancing award. I quickly went on the stage to receive the prize, and surprisingly she handed me a $1,200 dance scholarship. She commended the way I showed my emotion through my dance and my unique personality. The appreciation left me speechless.
My teacher’s appreciation made me realize that it is not wrong to be unique. She claimed I was her source of inspiration to her as well as other students. Moreover, she described me by the word eccentric. Eccentricity is something that should be embraced. Finally, creative light should never be dimmed with an intention fitting in cultural norms.