I had this event at my high school called Freshman Formation where we took an entire weekend and stayed on the campus doing team building activities and getting to know our classmates better, whether it's by team building exercises, physical activity, or just writing a song together to perform in front of the rest of the freshman class. Every day at some point, everyone would be gathered into the gym, lined up in our respective groups and we'd get lectured for a few hours while standing completely still. It was an interesting process for sure, but it was damn effective.

	One of the best pieces of advice I've ever gotten came from one of these lectures and it's stuck with me ever since and will probably stick with me for the rest of my life. It came from someone named Coach Toner, who is a short scrawny old man with a very powerful voice and a commanding and intimidating presence. Vietnam Vet as well. He lectured us every day about a bunch of different topics, but the one that stood out most to me was one where he called us all weird for an hour. "We're all weird. None of us are normal. There is no normal you bunch of weirdos. If we were all the same normal people this world wouldn't be as interesting as it is. WE'RE ALL WEIRD!!" he yelled, pacing himself around each row of students in the gym, while we were sweating bullets onto the hardwood floor.

	This was the type of experience that would make you think. A lot of people could just brush that off as some man rambling on about nothing, but I interpreted it differently. I think a lot about what Coach Toner said to us that day pretty often. It taught me that I shouldn't be afraid to be myself, no matter what others think of me or interpret about me. I should strive for weirdness, to be the best version of myself, rather than doing nothing with my potential and just going with the flow.

	This is the mentality I've adopted over time. I want to do something different and innovate, rather than doing whatever everyone else does and copying them. I want to do what makes me happy just like everyone else and do whatever means necessary to get there. If people want to call me weird for what I do, then so let them. That's a compliment to me. They took their own time to say I was different, and I appreciate that. I want everyone reading this to know to just be yourself if it makes you happy and embrace it. There's nothing wrong with that. You'll be better once you do.