I admit it. I'm the "extra" friend. I've been told too many times to count, "OMG, Macy, you're soooooo extra!" Usually, this is conveyed to me with a friendly laugh or goofy smile by one of my pals. But too often, it is accompanied with a dramatic eye roll, a cruel snicker, or a judgmental glance. Yes, I am extra. For those of you who aren't sure of what the slang, "extra," means, I have attached three dictionary definitions of the word:
Extra [ek-struh] (adj. or n.)-
1. beyond more than what is expected
2. something of superior quality
3. better than what is usual
I already know why people refer to me with this word. It's simply because I get really excited over simple things. Anyone who truly knows me is aware that I am a bundle of energy: I scream louder than others, I laugh at a hilarious joke once others have stopped laughing, I race ahead of a group of my friends and twirl in circles, I spontaneously start singing at random times, I post goofy selfies on Snapchat multiple times a day, and I am a complete chatterbox. It's simply who I am. I am extroverted, but sometimes my high energy personality is dismayed as "over the top."
To the people who think being "extra" is a negative attribute, please refer to the definitions listed above.
An extra amount of hugs are considered friendly, extra money is attributed with success, and extra A's on a transcript are associated with intelligence. So why does having an "extra" extroverted personality coincide with "Macy, please calm down?"
No, I will not calm down.
If I win a casual game of volleyball with my friends, you can expect me to be the one jumping up and down and giggling with joy. Whenever I get a new idea or discover a new passion, I'm the one who can't stop talking about it. I'm the girl who cranks up the music in the car, rolls down all the windows, and dances wildly while cruising down the interstate. Saying "Stop that, Macy," only pushes me to be wilder, more outspoken, and more myself.
To the person who is constantly told that he or she is "extra"...you are extremely extraordinary. Do the things that make you happy. Enjoy the little things. Just because some people don't understand us, doesn't mean we should let them tell us how happy we should be.
The next time you're loud in public or start to uncontrollably dance around your friends, don't let their embarrassed looks stop you. They may see the glass as half-empty, or even half-full, but you see the glass as spilling over the rim and flooding the tabletop.
"Stop it, Macy" and "Calm down, Macy," are words I refuse to listen to anymore. If anyone is annoyed or irritated that I make the most of any moment and live life to the fullest, then those are people that I don't want dragging me down, anyway.
Yes, I'm the girl who stops in the grocery store to do the robot dance. Sure, I'm the one who loses her voice at football games because a single touchdown excites me to the core. Of course, I'm the one who does something I shouldn't do simply because someone has told me not to. I know there are plenty of strangers, friends, and boys who simply can't handle me because I'm "extra."
But that's OK. I'd rather be "extra" Macy, because anything less than who I am wouldn't be the extraordinary me.
