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4/17/08
Strikingly Unconventional

It's here! It's here! Today's the day! It's the guest post from Antique Mommy! And now, for the moment you've all been waiting for...

Strikingly Unconventional
By Antique Mommy

Last Saturday, my four-year-old son Sean, had a T-ball game. And I don’t mean to brag, but he is good. He hits the ball well, he runs with determination and he can throw the ball with a fair degree of accuracy. He is athletic and good at the components of baseball. What he is not good at is the game part of baseball – the part that requires you to leave your quirky at home and be a part of the team.

Instead of chatting up his team mates while standing in line awaiting his turn at bat, he’ll wander off and pick dandelions. Or spin in circles until he falls down. Last Saturday, he started hopping on one-foot, backwards down the 3rd base line. With his hat pulled down over his eyes.

“Wow. Look at Sean go,” one of the other mother’s said to me. “He can really hop.”

“Yeah, he’s talented,” I sighed. “He’s from a long line of good hoppers. I can hop on one foot as can my mother and her mother before her.”

Watching Hop Along Cassidy was like watching myself as a four-year-old. I was always a little off beat, always had to do things my own way, just a little bit differently than everyone else. I’ve never been good at team sports or things that require lockstep precision. I was, and still am, exactly like that backwards hopping little boy – quirky. Being quirky has made life both more difficult and more interesting.

Dictionary.com describes quirky as strikingly unconventional -- idiosyncratic, capricious, off beat, whimsical and even unique - Albert Einstein, Mozart, DaVinci! But it also goes on to define quirky as peculiar, wacky, screwy and just plain weird – Michael Jackson. When does quirky become weird? And how do I teach Sean to harness the power of quirky and use it for good and not evil so that his life might be more interesting and less difficult?

“Yeah, he’s a little quirky,” I stated for the record to no one in particular.

“Oh no he’s not!” the other mother rushed in to console me. “He’s fine, he’s a four-year-old!”

I didn’t need consoling. In my mind, quirky is a compliment.

27 comments:

Antique Mommy said...

Hello everyone and welcome to The House of Quirky! No cussin' or spittin' allowed here. Not that y'all or the cussin' or spittin' type. I just wanted to stay cussin' and spittin'

Why not show my friend Quirky some love for being the hostess with the orange-y mostest and leave a comment please.

Kara said...

It was fun to visit this new site and see Antique Mommy over on the quirky side. What a fun prize to win. I enjoyed it much!

Anonymous said...

Love your blog Quirky! And thanks for the post Antique Mommy, I didn't cuss or spit but I sure did LOL!

Stephanie D said...

Well, now, this was fun! And so orange! Goes well with the green of my jealousy that you won the guest posting!

I think I'd like to drop by again.

Mercy's Maid said...

I think all little kids are like that at first. When I used to go watch my sisters' kids play ball, they were always more interested in catching grasshoppers than a ball.

Beth said...

I came here from Antique Mommy's blog, and I can see I need to add Quirky to my list of "must read" blogs! Love the raccoon story, in particular.

Jenny86753oh9 said...

Love the unique look and feel to this blog...

A.M. - I never thought of it before this post but my oldest is definitely quirky!

The Roaming Southerner said...

Def. fun to visit a new site. Thanks Antique and Quirky!

RubiaLala said...

I love that. Quirky is a fine thing to be. It means you aren't blending in. It means you are special. Very nice guest post!

Anonymous said...

Fun post. Thanks for the laugh and for introducing me to another great blog! :)

Renna said...

As always, Antique Mommy's post was a delight. :-)

Congratulations for wining AM's post; and I look forward to looking around your blog, Quirky. :-)

Anonymous said...

Congrats on winning! I agree, it is good to be quirky. To be like everyone else would be boring. Have a great day!

Jeana said...

I couldn't agree more!

Mrs. Brownstone @ XBOX Wife said...

Congratulations on winning the contest!

Great post - I love it when people march to their own drummer!

bbeth said...

Quirky, I love the looks of your blog! And being the huge SEC fan that I am, I recognized the Tennesse Orange!!
I DO consider "quirky" as a compliment - one of which I have been called on occasions.

Unknown said...

What a great guest post! Congrats, Quirky! I'm gonna nose around a little more if that's okay.

Anonymous said...

Argh...I finally stumbled out of bed (I've been dealing with my own version of your "fiery shards of glass") and came here via Antique Mommy. Loved what I read...I will be back to read more once I can function properly again!

Beck said...

My little guy sounds a lot like Sean - he spent all of t-ball wandering around the field picking flowers with his fun Faith. So he's not, I'm suspecting, a great athlete in the making.

jean said...

Another great post AM. And if you don't mind, I think I'll spend some time looking around this (new to me) blog. I like what I've seen so far.

Laura said...

Well I am all about quirky. Great blog title by the way!! Love how AM tied the post in, she is just so darn clever not to mention talented!

Anonymous said...

We're a pretty quirky bunch around here, too!

Julie said...

Well, I may not only be quirky, but I may have crossed over to weird. I enjoy it though.

Mrs.Naz@BecomingMe said...

How fun that you won a visit from Antique Mommy. She's actually one of my favorite bloggers and I would be thrilled if she just visited and commented on my blog. So cool for you. But, I also need to say that I have been subscribing to your blog before I heard about the guest post. i found your blog during the 5m4m contest and have loved it since. Couldn't resist visiting a quirky sister!

Anonymous said...

Well, I HAVE been known to say "thank you" when someone declares me weird!

Unknown said...

Oh that Antique Mommy - she's good, really good! Love the way she tied the name of your blog into her story... awesome.

Misslisslee said...

Hi, Quirky, from a fellow Tennessean. Yay, for Antique Mommy and her guest-writing abilities!

Anonymous said...

I like this blog! Congratulations on winning a fun prize; I'll visit again.