2003-06-18 - 8:39 p.m.
�This above all: to thine own self be true.��Polonius, Hamlet Act I, Scene iii
I�m a strange �un.
For one thing, I�m a theater person. Strange goes without saying. I challenge anyone to show me a sane person who would be willing to humiliate himself in front of hundreds of people. I further challenge anyone to show me a sane person who would be willing to dedicate himself to grunt work for little or no recognition.
I�ve yet to find one.
For another thing, I�m the Hecate of the sisterhood of English teachers. The most terrifying �grammar bitches� quail at my approach. The harshest graders of essays strew A�s in my path. The most fearsome tyrants of poetry analysis sing my praises like Clio.
You get the picture.
But those facets of my personage are relatively irrelevant. My quirky combination of personality traits is what really sets me apart.
I have the ability to mingle in social settings, to blend in. I have a makeup kit and a hair straightener. I can wear dresses if I so choose. I own a broad selection of jewelry.
Yet, most of the time, I see no reason not to be myself. I wear my hair down in public, wavy and frizzy and unfashionable though it may be. I walk around in men�s Levis and oversized theater shirts in any and all weather. Most of the time, I go barefaced. I let criticism of my dress roll off my shell and dress as I see fit. I have high self-esteem.
I can act like a girl, if I so choose. I�m a good enough actress to pull off the giggling and vapid gossip which ensues at all-girl gatherings. I�ll allow other girls to mess with my hair and try to give me makeovers, albeit unwillingly. I can dress myself up in the latest fashion and move with style and poise.
Yet, I much prefer acting like the tomboy and active personality I really am. I watch action movies with horrible plots solely for the sake of the action. I hang out with mostly male friends and marvel at cars and roller coasters with them. I eat large meals and forget my manners, much to my parents chagrin. I run amok at protests, yelling my head off. I have a good self-image.
I lack physical strength and coordination. I�m lucky if I beat a twelve-minute mile. I�m really lucky if I survive a night of stage crew without being laughed at�in good humor, of course�for either running into something, falling off of something, or being unable to perform some simple feat of basic strength.
Yet, if it comes to internal strength, I�m a regular Hercules. I stand up for my principles to the bitter end and act the way I want to act, not how others want me to. Anyone who tries to mess with me knows that he is pushing against something rock solid. My patience and perseverance are legendary among much of the theater crowd. I harbor no self-doubts.
I�m a strange �un, all right. No question.
But don�t you think the world would be a much better place with a few more oddballs like me?
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