the power of being yourself

there is a quirky, nerdy, freak in each of us. this is an inherent part of everyone's personality that can easily make one a social outcast in high school or a loner in college if he or she indulges it a little too much. if you meet the right friends however, or somehow have a supernatural amount of self confidence, this quirky little freak can be what people come to endear about you! it was about three years ago that this happened to me.

you are a constant source of entertainment just by being you were the words my friend matt used to encourage me. we were at the end of a long study abroad term in europe and as a group we were "debriefing" and taking time to encourage one another with reflections on how each person had grown during the trip, or how one had risen to the occasion when faced with a difficult situation. i can't remember what led to matt's comment, exactly, but i do remember being struck by this because until this point i had been overly concerned with what people had thought on me on the trip.

i am a pretty smart person and i possess a lot of common sense, but i am gullible, and a very easy person to tease - seriously it does not take much to get a reaction from me! also... i may have enjoyed the cheap (yet delicious) european wine on more than one occasion during the trip, which consequently led to lowered inhibitions and a lot of story telling from my younger years, which led to more teasing. moreover, when you travel in close quarters with thirty other people for two months it is inevitable that people are going to catch on to you and will see that you just as quirky, nerdy, and freaky as everyone else!

i was a walking embarrassment, at least that is what i thought. but then there was this encouragement...you are a constant source of entertainment just by being you. who knew that just by being myself - no masks, no pretending, no denying who i am - would have a positive impact on others. for some reason beyond my comprehension, by flying my freak flag i provided some comic relief to weary travellers, and made some pretty awesome friends because of it!

these few words have had a large impact on me. i am more likely to believe people when they tell me i am delightful to be around; i am more inclined to play charades, even though i am likely to stand in one spot laughing until i'm breathless because i am so embarrassed by the words on the paper (my friends are dirty minded and know exactly what kind of charade to give me to enact this response from me), and as i continue to grow as photographer i am more inclined to but myself in embarrassing situations in order to get the money shot! but, the change i have recognized within myself that i am most proud of is that i look for ways to encourage others to be themselves... to fly their freak flag. i have experienced the inherent power in being yourself and find it a privilege and a responsibility to encourage those around me to do that same!!

and on that note, last sunday my friend ang let her inner freak out for the camera... here's a little game of "where's ang?" enjoy!

love and sunshine,
shannon-may