I’m used to being odd.
I know it sounds strange, but believe it or not, I’m usually the weirdest person in the room. The amount of time I can hide my freak flag? About twenty minutes. Where I live, I’m the odd woman out. I’m the one with the least conservative opinions /the hippy-dippy-trippy ideas — potato-potahto. There was nothing typical or traditional about my upbringing, so I don’t spend holidays and weekends with my 100+ relatives, I don’t walk and talk with Jesus, and I don’t know how wholesome applies to things that are not food.
Oh yes, I do live in the 12th largest city in the U.S., but the status quo is still fairly Mayberry, which is a nice way to say you can’t throw a rock without hitting some status-seeking uptight religious bigot.
And y’all, I do throw a rock now and again.
(I gotta be careful, cause a lot of them are armed and many have tried and true athletic ability and throw really, really well.)
You cannot judge a book by its cover, because if you could, I would be the sweetest, most innocent gal in all the land.
But there was this one time, when I stopped at a brewery to pick up some things for Mr HME, where I have never felt more odd. Out of my element. Arriving on the scene like a game of ‘Which one of these things does not belong?’
I was literally, and I do mean literally, the only person in the place who looked like me. I have friends who fit these descriptions, but I’ve never been surrounded by them en masse.
Like most places, there were all sizes and shapes, ages and colors, but they shared a common culture.
Everyone around me knew the words to the screaming, disharmonious noise that they all seemed to find musical. They did not wince and wish that someone would turn it off. Their skin did not seem to ache from the nearly-fatal din. They tapped their feet and bobbed about and ‘sang.’
I have my ears pierced. I’m sure I was wearing earrings, probably small gold ones. In contrast, the lot of them had facial piercings, facial jewelry, and gauges — some of which looked like medieval torture devices.
I was wearing jeans with a white button up shirt and some slides from Kohl’s, how mamas do. In contrast, they all wore black. Most wore black concert tees or black tees with names or words I didn’t recognize. (Please do not patronize me with some shit about how you like Korn or Slayer or Iron Maiden — I am talking about obscure, underground stuff.)
They wore boots, mostly, although I did spot some Converse, Vans, Crocs, and Tevas — most wore ass-kickin steel-toe boots.
I have dark brownish-reddish hair of the 5RB variety. I know this because I cover my gray. My idea of a radical hairdo is getting a few inches trimmed off and highlights at the crown. I have never considered blue, purple, or green hair, and I have never wondered what I would look like with a rooster red mohawk.
I do not have tattoos. I’m not sure if there were any people there without tattoos. Lots of tattoos. Even the guy who was dressed similarly to me had tattoo sleeves.
They were all nice to me. As we waited in line they all chatted to me about the weather and the beers on my list and their favorite things about Indianapolis. They didn’t exclude me or pry into my personal life.
That was the best day to be odd.
This post is for LindaGHill’s Just Jot it January and Stream of Consciousness Saturday, with the prompt of ‘odd/even.’
joeyfullystated 
Well sometimes being odd ain’t a bad thing. As far as the beer crowd goes I wouldn’t want to blend in with them. I “fit in” the same Do you realize how much a tat sags as you age? I use to wear 2 rings in the left ear. I grew tired of them and took them out so I could find some I liked better. That was about 12 years ago. Never found replacements. So girl just let your Freak Flag Fly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
My only experience with aged tattoos is my grandfather’s military emblem on his arm. And I could not, for the life of me, tell you exactly what it was, because blurrrr!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Exactly. Never was into tats for myself. I will be more than happy to look at yours though.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! I haven’t thought of anything I want permanently inked onto my skin.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fitting in is definitely overrated. I feel like I stick out like a sore thumb everywhere I go, which used to bother me, but now it’s all whatever.
LikeLiked by 1 person
But you’re aware of it. That’s me, totally aware of it.
LikeLike
My people.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Good people.
LikeLike
I bet they were boring as hell on the inside. All a bunch of over-compensators would be my guess working a little too hard on their outer freak.
LikeLike
They were nice people.
LikeLike
Oops.
LikeLike
I like to blend in as much as I can, so would have been totally out of my comfort zone there! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m a blender-inner, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I always feel like the odd/different one in a crowd, but I seem to get along well with whatever people I’m around so I guess it’s okay. I would totally dye my hair purple if I could get away with it at my age. I had a purple streak in my hair for about 2 years and wanted to add more, but my scalp got sensitive and irritated by the chemicals so I had to let it go. 😦 Now that streak is the only natural area on my head and it’s white as snow, which is also cool. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re quite amicable 🙂
I worry similarly about letting Moo play with color in her hair. She’s just so sensitive. I finally said this summer, she can have purple on the ends. That way it’s not on her scalp 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well thanks! 🙂
I was considering putting the purple on my ends, but I had a lovely ombre effect going on and didn’t want wreck it, maybe I’ll do it later.
I think Moo is my favorite 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha! Moo has a lot of fans!
I had naturally ombre’d hair in Georgia, that sun! Ugh.
Sassy has an ombre goin on. She just had hers done the first of the year –the underside is chocolate brown. Now she has to wear her hair up, so everyone can see how dramatic! lol 😛
LikeLiked by 1 person
We are all so much more than the labels that society or others can put on us. That day was a good reminder of this, no?
LikeLiked by 1 person
It was 🙂 I’m sure they noticed my differences, but they treated me like they didn’t.
LikeLike
And here I am at the other end of the spectrum…but as Ive said before, I am not my body, and neither is anyone else..
And I like my tats and big ass gauge in my ear thank you very much. Its pretty. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Pretty is as pretty does, and you’re a great guy 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you 🙂 Youre pretty groovy too. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I never think of myself as odd, just a little wacky. Someone once described me as “artsy-fartsy” which I believe she thought was a put-down! I’ve been to Indianapolis and I agree, it is fairly Mayberry!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re so right about the whole “judging a book by its cover” thing. I liked your comment, “They didn’t exclude me or pry into my personal life.” They were doing their thing, and allowing you to do yours. We should all learn to live and let live. Great post! 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you. I fear this post didn’t connect that way with everyone, so I really appreciate your understanding 🙂
LikeLiked by 2 people
🙂
LikeLike
I give you 10 points for being observant. I would have gone in and not be able to describe anyone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks 🙂 The mind of the writer, I suppose.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Like you said, don’t judge a book by its cover.
People are people regardless of how they look or dress.
It sounds like it was a great experience.
LikeLiked by 1 person
In all likelihood, they all knew what it was like to be you. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would think so, thanks, Linda 🙂
LikeLike
🙂
LikeLike
I am not usually considered odd in appearance, more of a soccer mom dresser. Once I open my mouth, I usually have a few stares. People wonder about my liberal views, my being fully open to my grandies questions, daughter’s who talked to me about sexual limits in H.S. now talk to me about warming gels (sensual aids), etc. 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
You can totally sit at my table, Robin. We’ll be strangely liberal together 🙂
LikeLike
Odd is normal, everyone is odd in the privacy of their own heads, it’s just the brave ones like us who are proud enough to wear our oddness on our sleeves.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ooh, I like that, thanks 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
When I figure out what the average person thinks is ‘normal’ I’ll be sure and drop you a note. Don’t look too closely for one though because i stopped worrying about normal versus odd versus uniqueness a while back. Now, I think you should post what a freak flag looks like because I’m thinking there are a lot of folks looking to fly one. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s that thing that lets people know you’re not entirely conventional. It’s actually a term from a song older than me, but it seems only the freaks kept using the term.
I don’t know about my confidence in flying mine. It is getting better as I get older, but it still backfires about half the time. I care less, but still care some. I suppose like all things, practice makes perfect.
I’ve never found normal either, but I’ve found plenty of folks are really good at pretending 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I seem to try to blend into the scenery—I do okay until I open my mouth which displays my inner odd woman out.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Same here.
LikeLike
In my 20s or early 30s, I would have fit right into that scene. These days, not so much, I would definitely be the odd one, though I would have been saying things like “rad clothes” “love your hair” and “omg what an awesome tat!” Great post, Joey!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hah! Thanks, Lori 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are welcome, Joey 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person