As an Oregonian who spent several years living in Portlandia, I feel the city’s unofficial mantra “Keep Portland Weird” is a noble pursuit. The world needs weird. Not the Donald Trump kind of weird, which is like a Stephen-King-horror-novel-with-a-terrifying-evil-clown-kind-of-weird.
No, I’m talking about a less volatile, better coiffed and more enjoyable kind of weirdness that helps us keep a fresh perspective on daily life.
Albert Einstein, Edgar Alan Poe, Leonardo da Vinci, Lucille Ball — all were geniuses in their own way who reminded us to see the world with wonderment by unapologetically pursuing their weirdness.
I’m no genius. I’m reminded of this every time I spend 5 minutes getting frustrated with the TV remote, then realize it’s the garage door opener — usually after the neighbor calls to tell me our Labrador is repeatedly being knocked unconscious. Though I’m no genius, I do consider myself weird. And so do others. Particularly my teenagers, who avoid eye contact whenever we’re in public because they’re afraid I’ll do something weird that will embarrass them.
Or as they jokingly say, “DESTROY OUR LIVES!”
Ha! Ha!
Ok, maybe they’re not joking.Â
The truth is, though they may feel being in the car with Dad while he orders Taco Bell in an Arnold Schwarzenegger voice could have a lasting impact on their reputations — or at the very least completely screw up our dinner order — I believe the example of infusing random acts of weirdness into daily life is an important one. That’s because being weird requires looking at a common situation in an uncommon way. As a parent, there are few skills I want my children to develop that are more important than the ability to think unconventionally. It’s that type of thinking that leads to technological breakthroughs, builds self confidence and develops problem-solving skills.
Not counting me and my TV remote, of course.
Being able to tap into your weirdness can also help keep things in perspective when life gives you lemons. Or melons, for those of you with dyslexia. Being able to wield weirdness is like having Thor’s hammer to smash negativity and the mundane. Although if you think you’re going to look as cool doing it, you’re kidding yourself. Regardless, it’s an effective way of turning a bad situation into a better situation; an unfortunate circumstance into a laughable moment; Kanye West into… another laughable moment.
You get the idea.
The world is getting more plugged in and, coincidentally, more stressed out. Weirdness is a necessary coping mechanism that benfits everyone. So please do the responsible thing by embracing your weirdness. Or even someone else’s.
But if they’re a naked bike rider, you might want to make sure they put some pants on first.
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Ned's Blog 
I’m not the least little bit weird. Just ask my alter-ego, Not CM.
(And I never learned to ride a bike, so we’re all safe there.)
Actually, the fact that you never learned to ride a bike is a little weird. So welcome to the club. Don’t worry, we’re all wearing pants.
My parents wouldn’t let me have a bike, so when my husband and I were dating, I bought a 10-speed and he tried to teach me. I kept falling off. And then I found out I was pregnant. We got married and raised our family. The bike went into storage and didn’t come out again until our kids were old enough to use it. By then I had no interest.
Life happens, right? 😉
Ned, you are slipping into profundity more often these days.
Is that bad? I can change, I swear!
Oops! Damned autocorrect!. I meant poofery. 😉 Seriously, though, you do it very well, no need to change (yet).
Lol! “Poofery” is usually what happens after I eat at the taco buffet.
Pants are overrated!! 😉
Unless you’re visiting a nursing home. But other than that, I agree!
Being weird rocks! I think my son is finally at the age where it takes nothing for me to embarrass him in public. Not too long ago, wanting to shoot a joint selfie with him at an oceanside park, while someone else was around, was cause for him to cringe with a sour face (which I digitally captured for all eternity).
Local slang can be rough sometimes M2M. For instance, in Oregon, where Ned resides, marijuana is legal so a “joint” selfie has a much different meaning than it likely does in your home town. Bwahaha!
HaHaHa! I actually read that part twice just to make sure I read it right 😉
Speaking of which, I saw a headline yesterday about needing volunteers to form a “joint committee” on marijuana usage in public places!
Those politicians – always taking advantage. They want to be careful because the courts still do joint trials. ha!
OMG! I just realized that too! LOL. Here in WA, it’s legal as well, but I’m well past the age of joint experimentation (just made me loopy and fat), and my son isn’t quite old enough yet.
It’s a beautiful thing when the tables have turned like that, isn’t it?!?
Now see what you’ve done? You’ve made weirdness socially acceptable and ruined it for everyone. There go my weird hopes and dreams.
Lol! Don’t worry, as long as there are teenagers in the world, having their parents act weird will never be socially acceptable 😉
Here I was, innocently browsing through my wordpress reader when all of a sudden I see naked man butt. :p My first thoughts were “Oh my gosh, Ned has finally begun his stripping career.” 😉
Hahaha! That photo looks more like the end of my career!
Lol yes the “rear end” of it. 😉 *4 hours of sleep – everything is hysterical*
i too love to embrace my weirdness Ned, but I’d much rather point out the weirdness of others. For instance, I boarded in a single dwelling in a residential area once. In the summer, when the weather was nice, every night at midnight a woman of about 70 would ride down the street in only a white nightgown on an old single speed bike. She was completely silent and as regular as clockwork.
I would make sure I was in bed by 11:59.
Well. Let’s make a distinction. Donald Trump is creepy. He takes his orangeness seriously. 😉
No arguments on that one, Lynette 😉
PS Is that going to be his title if he becomes the big P? Something like, may I present His Orangness, the POTUS? Or the Grand Orange of POTUS? Will it become a Royal Colour – no one else can wear it, and like that? (Sorry, feeling a little silly this morning …)
Now I’m picturing him as the Wizard of Oz, except in the Orange City instead of Emerald.
Where did you find that picture of me from my visit to Portland?
I let you borrow my bike for the race, remember? I’d like it back — but you can keep the seat…
OK. I installed a mud guard for you, just in case you want to enter this year’s event.
Great, now I’ll have to wipe.
Actually, if you are going to ride that race… don’t wipe. It will keep other riders out of your draft.
Hahaha! I can’t top that, Steve. (The joke, not the seat)
uh… I do indeed pursue my weirdness… but not on a bike… and rarely without cloths on…
Loin cloth?
now and then
wait… is that ‘cloths’ or ‘clothes’???
Yes!!
I couldn’t have said it better 😉
Weird’s my middle name, Ned.
Mom drank, obviously…
Mine did too, but that was after I was born…
I revel in my weirdness. 😉
Exactly! And sometimes I even reveal in my weirdness, depending on what I’ve had to drink 😉
I had my suspicions. 🙂
But hopefully no photos…
I’m still waiting to hear back from the Enquirer.
Probably too busy laughing.
But wouldn’t it be weird for a naked biker to wear pants?
All bikers are naked under their pants anyway, though… right?
I so agree with you Ned. We need to express our weirdness or we may go mad! Lots of LOL here, but seriously, kids go through stages and may get embarrassed by some of their parent’s antics, but later on, those memories become their gold, so look up! 🙂
Embarrassment is my family’s “circle of life,” Debby!
Lol, I have no doubts, but one day they’ll turn into fond memories . . .I promise. 🙂
I’m counting on that, Debby!
Why doesn’t that picture seem weird? Plus, what is the definition of not weird? It is all so subjective…nowadaze…
Just watch the presidential debates. Weird…
Hahaha…..um.no.
Everyone wants to be weird these days. Weird is going mainstream which makes it not so weird anymore and not so fun .
Maybe so. But I suppose I’d rather have a world of “mainstream weirdness” than mainstream uptightness 😉
Me too!
#weirdstrong
Weird is going mainstream?
Forget it then. I’m becoming totally normal.
hahahahahahaha. As if.
I love that I’m sitting here reading this in my Portland sweatshirt. Great city.
I’m glad that you going “mainstream” is laughable 😉