I walked past two people the other day just in time to hear one tell the other that she was weird. I cringed at what I thought the response might be. You know name calling can get ugly. To my surprise, although very direct, the reply was polite. “I embrace my weirdness,” she answered in a soft, calm tone. I think the name caller was surprised as well. Maybe she made the statement in hopes of getting a loud reaction. Had she hoped that accusing her of being weird would evoke a big response? When I was in my quiet space thinking about their exchange, I realized that her response was big. It was impactful and “powerful(ly) important.” 

 Her decision to answer in such a mild way spoke volumes. Instead of blowing her top at the name calling, she wore what someone else saw as an insult like a badge. She didn’t let this attempt at rudeness take her out of character. That’s the beauty of the whole exchange. The short incident didn’t yield the anticipated show. But, isn’t calling someone out of their name an attack? Shouldn’t calling someone out of their name cause a ruckus? Calling someone weird is grounds for a fight, right?

 Pause. Check yourself, girl! Not everything someone places on you is an insult, even if the intent was to cause harm. It’s like being called short, skinny, dark, nappy headed, etc., etc. I have been called all these things on many occasions because someone else thought they were negative or offensive depictions of me. I see them as descriptors of me, so they are not words that hurt. They confirm. It’s funny how someone can say things about you with the intent of doing damage but actually end up showering you with compliments. I am dark, and I love everything about that. Insult? Never!

We don’t need to get loud, rude or upset when it comes to making others aware of who we are and how proud we are of it. We often see people angrily trying to prove to other people that they know who they are and are comfortable in their knowing. I question whether or not this is really the case. If people’s love for themselves is genuine, then why do they need to defend it? I can’t see myself yelling, screaming and trying to defend my love for things that I believe legitimately describe me. It just doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It’s much like the young lady in the conversation I overheard. For her, being called weird was a commendation, not an insult. Therefore, there was no need for her to get upset or argue. I felt like I had been given a huge slice of cake after hearing her gentle, confident reply. The icing, though, would have been hearing her say, “Thank you. I appreciate the compliment.”