(photo credit
3. Embrace your weird. It’s what changes the world for the better.
Prince was certainly not a human you would describe as “ordinary” or “mainstream” or the N word – “normal”. I think we all agree he was eccentric to put it midldly. Some might call it “weird” – for lack of a better word.
But weird is the perfect word. And as Demaris – one of Prince’s friends and dancers, who was master of Ceremonies for the main events at Celebration 2017, said – “If somebody tells you you’re weird, you should say thank you.” Because if someone thinks you’re weird it means you look, sound or act different than the mainstream. You challenge people’s perceptions of the world. You encourage those around you to think about their comfort zones and give them the opportunity to grow and create new comfort zones.
Prince is the ultimate example of how weird create’s change.
He transcended social boundaries of gender yet was “someone” exceedingly attractive to the opposite sex. He found ways to express himself through music and fashion that somehow transcended while at the same time being held to iconoclast status by the general pop culture appreciating public. He also had several pet doves, only ever wore platform shoes and in rare occasions some of the sneakers at https://vessifootwear.com/ , would routinely steal his (ex) wife Mayte’s clothes and tailor them for himself. Because that’s how he rolled and we all loved it.
At one point during our weekend in Metro Minneapolis, I had a conversation with an Uber driver who said he wishes Prince’s music hadn’t been so mainstream. My sentiment is exactly opposite. How wonderful that someone so very different was embraced by mainstream culture. It speaks to the need we all have inside ourselves to express our own “weird”.
I always advise young ones who are different to keep on doing what their doing and embrace their “weird” – because I know that their peers (whether openly or not) admire their courage. Let’s face it. It takes guts to be different. And if none of us had the guts we’d be stuck in a debilitating, boring sea of sameness.
So thank you, Prince , for your changing the world with your weirdness and encouraging us all to be the love that is inside of us, no matter if it might look strange to others. Because there will always be someone else who thinks it’s beautiful and will be inspired to change even just a little bit for the better because of it.
The Narcissistic (American) Anthropologist 