I love meeting kids who ‘march to the beat of their own drum’. Not just the kid who dresses quirky, or acts like they don’t care… the kid who knows, ‘I’m different and I don’t care’. The kid that doesn’t know any other kid with the same interests and will still pursue those interests with a full commitment.

Most kids aren’t like that. They worry about what their friends will think. They want the same cloths as their peers, or at least the same style, even if they want their outfit to be original. They want to watch the same shows, like the same music, and have the same interests.

I’m talking about those kids that don’t have a care in the world that they are different, not because of an effort to be different, but rather simply by nature. Kids that think, ‘I know others think this is weird, oh well, I like it’. These kids have a confidence about them that they seem too young to have. They don’t put on a persona that they are something they are not. They don’t try to blend in. These kids aren’t opposed to fitting in, they just don’t care if they don’t.

Do you know a kid like this? Spend time with them. They don’t have the pretences of most teens, or most adults, and that carefree attitude that may seem aloof, or even cocky, is actually a strength that we should foster and appreciate. They will find their way, and their way will be different than most… and not only is that ok, it’s something to be encouraged.