I walked with the girls through the woods on the cool, damp, early-spring day. I shook my head, thinking there was not a chance we'd ever see any wildlife with all their giggling and talking. One girl proved me wrong by spotting a bright orange newt on the brown, fallen leaves. On such an overcast day with no greenery or summer colors, the orange seemed oddly out of place. This animal was not hiding or blending in with its environment like a chameleon, but daring to stand out and be itself, regardless of the consequence of being discovered. Had I thought of it at the time, I might have used this as an object lesson for those Brownies - a lesson on being yourself.
Time and time again in my life, I have found myself so eager to fit in and be part of something that I let some of who I truly am fall by the wayside - even at my age. That has never served me well. It has often left me sitting on the sidelines, wondering what I did wrong, when I've been left out of something. Maybe I really wasn't fooling anyone. Maybe, even though I tried so hard, I was the only one being fooled by the effort.
It is an empowering feeling to realize that you are happy being yourself and that you don't need to fit into someone else's category. Even if you march to the beat of a different drum, there are those out there who will accept you right where you are. And if you wait long enough, you may even discover there are others in the world who hear the same beat.
I am not like everyone else. Most girls like to go to the mall and have their nails done and wear high heels and collect designer handbags. That's not me. I'd rather go in the woods and get my hands dirty and wear hiking boots and collect heart-shaped rocks and nature memories.
There is no need for me to be a chameleon. I'd rather be a newt.
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