Unique. Different. Uncommon. Weird. Whatever you want to call it. Just because you don’t act a certain way that most people do doesn’t mean you are any less of a person than they are. Having your unique qualities and little quirks is what makes you the person that you are. It’s the reason why you bought that one shirt. It’s your laugh that signifies that you are in the room. It’s that different way you eat things. The music that you listen to, the movies that you watch and the kind of vehicle you drive. It’s what makes you, you. Don’t ever apologize for being yourself.
If you’re a goofball, embrace that. If you dance for no apparent reason other than the fact that you’re in a good mood, dance away. You like to watch documentaries instead of going out on the weekends, who cares? I feel like we are always trying to fit this certain mold. We are constantly trying to reinvent ourselves just to please those around us and it tends to vary from friend group to friend group. Aren’t you tired of putting different masks on in your life? Don’t ever apologize for being yourself.
If you keep apologizing for who you are, you start to lose sight of who you truly are. I know this may sound cliché, but you start to look in the mirror and not recognize the face that is staring back at you anymore. In times when you feel this way, it is important to take a step and breathe. Reevaluate what you truly find to be enjoyable. Are you happy? When’s the last time you laughed? When’s the last time you cried? You can’t keep going on living a life that isn’t enjoyable.
The next time someone asks you to tell them about yourself, be completely honest. I’ll tell you who I am. I am Dalton Hessel. I come from a town of musky lures and Main Street. From tall tales told out on the water to ice cream cones melting in your hands. I am a small town guy who enjoys the simple things in life. I am completely content with sitting around a campfire and telling stories amongst good friends or even strangers on a Friday night. I am what many people call a “lightweight” drinker and I hate scary movies. (I used a night-light until I was like 12, no shame...okay, maybe a little). Even though I am legally an “adult”, I still like to live my life like I am Peter Pan. I’m not afraid to admit that I’ll throw on cartoons when I am bored or build a blanket fort on a lazy weekday.
Just because I live my life like a little kid sometimes, doesn’t mean I don’t know when it’s time to buckle down and be a man. If there’s work that needs to be done, you can bet that I will be there willing to help out. No, I’m not that mechanically inclined or know too much about carpentry, but I am an extra set of hands willing to help get the job done. I believe in second chances and that nobody in this life is perfect. I am a firm believer that there is a heaven and a hell and that God created the earth. I don’t believe in love at first sight, but I do believe that one can look across the room or across the street and know that person is going to mean something to them someday.
What about you? Who are you? Try writing it down sometime and don’t ever apologize for who you are.
