Embrace Your Weirdness and Stop Being Like Everyone Else: The Secret Found in Garlic Ice Cream

I’m driving down Highway 101 listening to Kidz Bop (#dadlife), and like always, I see the signs. “Garlic Ice Cream, stop here!” Like always, I giggle. Everything tastes good in ice cream. It’s made from sugar and fat. Everything, but garlic. But I’m driving through Gilroy, California—aka, the Garlic Capitol of the World.

Gilroy is garlic. They hold an annual garlic festival where they crown the Garlic Queen (an attention grabber on a resume.) They have the world’s longest garlic braid, pickled garlic, and garlic chocolate chip cookies. At some point in their history, person A said, “we have a lot of garlic here, we should embrace that.” Person B said, “but that would make us weird.” Person A said, “let’s fly these garlic freak flags!”

Just down the road is another world capital—Castroville, “The Artichoke Capitol of the World.” Of course, everywhere you can find these self-proclaimed capitols:

Batavia—Windmill Capitol

Chicago—Rat Capitol

Crisfield——Crab Capitol

Vienna——Coffee Capitol

Ligonier——Marshmallow Capitol

Peru—Circus Capitol

Green Bay—Toilet Paper Capitol

No two places are the same, so why not embrace the weirdness and lean into what makes it unique?

Of course, no two people are the same. But we still have hard time embracing this reality. We try to be like everyone else.

Something’s Wrong With Me

I’m weird. I’ve always been weird. I grew up in small towns that idolized sports. On Friday nights, they would shut everything down and spend their time talking about going to State. I loved sports, but I also loved singing and musicals and reading science fiction books. I thought something was wrong with me.

Later in life, I worked for a massive church in Chicago that operated like a huge business. They built the culture on “leadership.” The goal was to build and grow, and expand at a fast pace. But I’m slow paced and not very outspoken. They would tell me, “if you don’t learn to speak up or show more initiative, no one will think you have what it takes and you’ll go nowhere.” I thought something was wrong with me.

I’m weird, but that doesn’t mean something is wrong with me. Well, there’s plenty wrong with me, but today that’s not our focus.

I’m guessing you are weird and haven’t always fit in. Maybe you do a good job hiding it, but that’s only because you’re scared of sticking out.

Give Us Your Weirdness

There is a legend about a rabbi named Rabbi Zusha. On his deathbed, tears streamed down his face. “Why are you crying?” asked his disciples. “If God asks me why I wasn’t like Moses or Maimonides,” answered Rabbi Zusha, “I’ll say I wasn’t blessed with that kind of leadership ability and wisdom.” But I’m afraid of another question,” continued Rabbi Zusha, “what if God asks, Zusha, why weren’t you like Zusha? – Rabbi Meshulam Zusha of Hanipol.

Why aren’t you more like you? Why do you insist on hiding your weird ideas and talents and passions and quirks?

We don’t need more of the same; we need someone who thinks differently.

• Your community needs your unique insights and perspectives.
  
• Your career needs you to be bold with your gifting and talents.
  
• Your family doesn’t need another mom or dad or sibling or child who has it all figured out on Instagram—they need you and your lame jokes.
  

Whatever it is—that’s what we need. We need the real you, with all your uniqueness. Give us your garlic ice cream. Give us your weirdness.

Embrace Your Limitations

“There is as much guidance in what does not and cannot not happen in my life as there is in what can and does-maybe more.”

Parker Palmer

Growing up in America, we were told we could be anything. That’s beautiful on one level. It speaks of our freedom and the value of equality—but it’s also not true. For example, I can’t be a professional basketball player. My son recently asked me if I could join the Chicago Bulls. Yes, I told him, but I just don’t want to. I’m not ready for him to learn his dad is a short, slow white dude who gets winded from thinking about jogging one mile.

We can’t be anything. That’s not how we are made. We were created and formed with limitations. To understand who we are, we have to accept who we ARE NOT. Limitations clarify.

Are you doing things just because you’re “supposed to,” but inside, you are dying?

Do you watch an influencer on Instagram or celebrity on TV and secretly wish you were more like them?

Do you feel pressure from family or co-workers or your community to do a certain job or act a certain way?

Here’s a reminder: you can’t be anything you want and you can’t be someone else. You can try, of course. But it will be exhausting and soul-sucking.

Gilroy, as much as it tries, cannot be the snowball capital of the world. It doesn’t snow in Gilroy. You, as much as you try, cannot be someone else.

But this is good news.

We need you to not fit.

We need you to give us your weirdness.

We need you to embrace your limitations.

We need you.

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