Here's to the Crazy Ones

This video inspired this post.

“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes.

The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.

About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward.

Maybe they have to be crazy.

How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels?

We make tools for these kinds of people.

While some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.”

It’s been all over cyberspace in tribut to Steve Jobs. One of the crazy ones.

It really made me think. About my dad. About myself.

My dad was one of the crazy ones. He was. Unfortunately he didn’t figure out how to harness his craziness (read brilliance) and do something that made him happy. His intelligence killed him. I know how that sounds but he was gifted. And he couldn’t deal with the sheer stupidity of all the “systems”. My uncle Tom referred to it in his “eulogy” at Dad’s memorial. He spoke of not ignoring the gifted. Because it can have terrible consequences. Don’t let them die of boredom and frustration. Dont force them into a round hole.

I don’t think I’m gifted. But I did work very hard to fit myself into a round hole. When I wasn’t too busy partying and ignoring my drive to seek for greater meaning and fulfillment. I think the fact that my Dad, and my Mom and Step-father, were really different made me work harder to fit in. I tried so hard. But I didn’t. Because we didn’t live somewhere with other like minded souls. Maybe if we had lived on Toronto Island, or Salt Spring Island it would have been different.

What’s my point?

Let’s honour difference in one another. Let’s pay attention to kids whose needs aren’t met in the “systems”. Let’s pay attention to adults whose needs aren’t met in the “systems”. We are not systems. We are individuals.

Let’s not wait until we’re in our 30s and 40s to do this. We need to help the children do it.

Let’s Change the World. Together.

Comments

Nancy says

October 13, 2011 at 9:47 am

i love this, erin little.
And I could not agree more with all of it. Some are too clever, brilliant and sensitive for this world-we need to embrace them and find a space for them
xoxoxo
Tracey says

October 12, 2011 at 10:35 am

Love. 🙂
Sara says

October 11, 2011 at 9:58 pm

Erin – this is an amazing post – a beautiful tribute to your dad and is an eye opener. I loved that video…
DesiValentine says

October 11, 2011 at 8:36 pm

Yes. Let’s help our children do it. This post really spoke to me. Thank you for writing it 🙂