(Originally posted on the website Continuum…)

There are times when you just feel out of step with the rest of the world. You don’t fit in. You stick out. You feel dumb and awkward, even well after you are past your adolescent years. You try not to draw attention to your ineptitude, but even your attempt to be inconspicuous turns into a glaring neon sign that reads, “I’M AN IDIOT!” You know you’re really not as big an oaf as you appear to be in front of others. But sometimes you could swear that you hear applause after you leave the room. It’s not the eager demand of an encore by an audience of fans. It’s the cheerful relief of the crowd that was uncomfortable at your evident oddness. You didn’t belong. You were not comprehended.

Take your silly hat and fly away.