A misfit is generally understood to be a person whose behaviour, attitude or physical appearance sets them apart from others in an uncomfortably conspicuous way.
Today, ask any of my family, friends or acquaintances and they will most likely agree that I am clearly within the scope of the above definition. Ask anyone who sees me on the street and most will also agree. Ask anyone who looks at a current photo of me and most will likely agree.
Was this always the case?
I think not ... for the first 43 years of my life I was the only one who knew the 'truth' ... yet I rarely acknowledged this truth. i spent 43 years trying to build and project the impression that I was a typical male member of the species. These attempts at hiding the 'truth' , or projecting falsehoods about my true self, caused untold suffering ... for both myself and those with whom I was involved in a relationship with.
The earliest manifestation of my 'misfit' status comes from stories my dad often shared about my early childhood. When I was a toddler, my parents would put me in a harness, designed for toddlers, which was then attached to our backyard clothes line. The purpose of course was to keep me safe while my parents were busy doing something else. My dad often recounted memories of how I would always find a way to escape ... somehow shed the harness ... and run away.
Another popular anecdote my dad would often share was the time I pushed my wagon into his path as he was backing his car out of the driveway. I'm guessing I was 3-4 years old at the time. My dad was convinced that my timing was not accidental ... rather it was a premeditated and malicious act on my part ... and I'm only 3-4 years old! My personal memories of being a 'misfit' go back to when I was about 8 years old. From this time until age 43 ... most of the time ... I wasn't comfortable with the 'true' me and so I tried to hide the fact that i was indeed 'different'.
The word misfit has a negative connotation ... suggesting misfits are 'bad apples' and should not be part of mainstream society. I agree that this is sometimes the case ... yet if we examine the lives of many popular heroes ... in all cultures ... we would find many who were labelled 'misfits' during their lives. St Francis of Assisi for example.
Seems to me the notion of human evolution ... as progress ... owes its' foundation to the assumption that we have always had the appropriate number of good 'misfits' within the human race at all times ... past, present and future ... suggesting that mankind's 'evolution' has always been dependent on 'misfits'. Seems logical.
It is in this vein that I share some of my experiences and thoughts. Sounds arrogant eh! Only time will tell if my 'thoughts' have any merit.
Just like Fyodor Dostoevsky said~~~~
“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on Earth.”
Today, ask any of my family, friends or acquaintances and they will most likely agree that I am clearly within the scope of the above definition. Ask anyone who sees me on the street and most will also agree. Ask anyone who looks at a current photo of me and most will likely agree.
Was this always the case?
I think not ... for the first 43 years of my life I was the only one who knew the 'truth' ... yet I rarely acknowledged this truth. i spent 43 years trying to build and project the impression that I was a typical male member of the species. These attempts at hiding the 'truth' , or projecting falsehoods about my true self, caused untold suffering ... for both myself and those with whom I was involved in a relationship with.
The earliest manifestation of my 'misfit' status comes from stories my dad often shared about my early childhood. When I was a toddler, my parents would put me in a harness, designed for toddlers, which was then attached to our backyard clothes line. The purpose of course was to keep me safe while my parents were busy doing something else. My dad often recounted memories of how I would always find a way to escape ... somehow shed the harness ... and run away.
Another popular anecdote my dad would often share was the time I pushed my wagon into his path as he was backing his car out of the driveway. I'm guessing I was 3-4 years old at the time. My dad was convinced that my timing was not accidental ... rather it was a premeditated and malicious act on my part ... and I'm only 3-4 years old! My personal memories of being a 'misfit' go back to when I was about 8 years old. From this time until age 43 ... most of the time ... I wasn't comfortable with the 'true' me and so I tried to hide the fact that i was indeed 'different'.
The word misfit has a negative connotation ... suggesting misfits are 'bad apples' and should not be part of mainstream society. I agree that this is sometimes the case ... yet if we examine the lives of many popular heroes ... in all cultures ... we would find many who were labelled 'misfits' during their lives. St Francis of Assisi for example.
Seems to me the notion of human evolution ... as progress ... owes its' foundation to the assumption that we have always had the appropriate number of good 'misfits' within the human race at all times ... past, present and future ... suggesting that mankind's 'evolution' has always been dependent on 'misfits'. Seems logical.
It is in this vein that I share some of my experiences and thoughts. Sounds arrogant eh! Only time will tell if my 'thoughts' have any merit.
Just like Fyodor Dostoevsky said~~~~
“Pain and suffering are always inevitable for a large intelligence and a deep heart. The really great men must, I think, have great sadness on Earth.”