If you've read Stephen Chbosky's novel, "Perks of Being a Wallflower," you'll understand the term completely. If not, it is a person who sees and listens without being noticed, and therefore, will see what others around him would often times miss.

wall·flow·er

ˈwôlˌflou(ə)r/

noun

1. a person who, because of shyness, unpopularity, or lack of a partner, remains at the side at a party or dance.

2. any person, organization, etc., that remains on or has been forced to the sidelines of any activity.

Many teenagers and young adults ask the questions, "Are there any real perks of being a wallflower?" and often focus on the negatives surrounding the term. It is often compared to being a nobody or a loser. It is associated with having no friends or a lack of a social life.

I'm here to say that being a wallflower is more than OK.

It is OK to be observant.

Highly observant people are often people who have an attention to detail or like to simply watch life around them. Just because you're on overly observant person, doesn't mean you are antisocial, have no friends, or lack social skills. We simply like to observe instead of participating. We each have different comfort levels and that is more than OK.

It is OK to not have a large group of friends.

It is always best to know a little about a lot of things verses a lot about a few things. Why would this not apply to friendship? As a common saying goes, I'd rather have three real friends than a sea of fake friends.

It is OK to soar over other's expectations of you.

Being a wallflower means that people do not see you and that they often dismiss you as being part of the backdrop. As a wallflower, you experience neglect. In doing so, they dismiss what you are capable of. You talents are often unheard of by your peers, because you enjoy staying in the background. As a wallflower, you may be told that staying below those expectations is what you are meant to do, and it is way beyond OK to ignore them. What shocks others the most is when their expectations are shattered.

It is OK to be a "somebody.

A wallflower can be defined as "often one of the most interesting people if one actually talks to them," by Urban Dictionary, one of the most popular hubs of definitions. The misconception that wallflowers are nobodies is beginning to change.

It is OK to be a wallflower.

It is OK to not be highly noticed because you like to observe and notice everything else. It is OK to say hi to someone who has no idea who are are, but that you're familiar with.

Being a wallflower has its perks. If you think negatively about yourself for being a wallflower, please don't. We are the people who don't go around talking to everyone, but see things differently. We absorb what is happening around us. We listen to others opinions instead of giving our own.

We are the people who do things by ourselves at times, but that is more than OK with us. We all have a little bit of wallflower in us, whether it be a big or small part. Admit it, we can all be socially awkward at times. Being shy does not make you an outcast.

A wallflower is more than just clinging to a wall at a school dance; it is about being yourself and being unique. It isn't a bad way to live.