Monday, March 02, 2009

On Being Unique

Welcome to "The Gods Are Bored," mirth for the fungus among us! Pull up a toadstool and set a spell. Pretty sure you'll be lichen what you see.

(I think this greeting would have worked better with yesterday's post.)

There are so many billions of humans on the planet, and each one wants to feel unique. I know, I know, teenagers like to follow the crowd, becoming so many wildebeests on the plain. But deep inside, all of us harbor a need to be different somehow from everyone else.

This yearning for uniqueness is not to be confused with a yearning for fame. In fact, many athletes and entertainers advance their careers by imitating other athletes and entertainers. There's nothing particularly unique about the Jonas Brothers, for example.

I've always believed that uniqueness is something worth cultivating. Every now and then I achieve it. Today I am sitting here feeling quite distinctly unique.

A count taken in 2007 sets the population of Camden County, New Jersey at just under 514,000. (That's just 7,000 less than the whole state of Wyoming.)

It is currently snowing in Camden County, and the temperature is hovering around 25 degrees.

And I have a case of poison ivy.

I wonder how many of the 514,000 citizens of Camden County, or, for that matter, the 522,000 citizens of Wyoming, can claim a case of poison ivy today, March 1, 2009?

Uniqueness. Some are born with it, others have it thrust upon them. In my case, crust upon them.

Please don't dispute my self-diagnosis. I did some yard work on Saturday.

And don't be jealous of my uniqueness. It has its down side. Itchy, festering blisters under an Irish wool sweater are not a recommended way to stand out from the crowd.

10 comments:

Alex Pendragon said...

You just HAVE to be different, doncha?

Pom said...

Hindsight blogging is 20/20. If I had a dollar for every time I... ah never mind!

Good luck with the crusties. At least it's temporary even if it is a miserable time of year to have it! As you said.. wool sweater and all.

Dancing With Fey said...

Poison oak...ouch. My sympathies. I managed to get into some a few years back. Not fun.

Of course, if you want to be REALLY unique you could try pruning your poison oak in a two piece bathing suit. Oh, wait, you wouldn't be quite so unique then. You'd just have something in common with my mom then.

Just, when you're really getting irritated with your poison oak rash, remind yourself that you didn't unwittingly prune it. It would be way worse for you if that were the case.

Unknown said...

i love the uniqueness of this blog x

Celestite said...

Lets see, go along with the crowd, or poison ivy.
I think I will take the crowd on this one.

Anonymous said...

Thanks, Anne:

I'm so friggin' allergic to urushiol that just reading this is making me itchy! I know it's the worst thing (supposedly) that you can do with it, but I always try to get the affected parts under the hottest water I can stand. The feeling is a close as I've ever come to having more fun by myself than with someone else.

Feel better.

democommie

democommie said...

Anne:

Are you familiar with this website?

http://poisonivy.aesir.com/view/products.html

democommie

Hecate said...

Sending calamine thoughts your way

Unknown said...

Check this out:
http://www.wvablue.com/showDiary.do;jsessionid=D5BEE6A04EE8F4EFC31C16B5FE8FC786?diaryId=4088

yellowdoggranny said...

reminds me of the joke..this guy had everything ..beautiful wife, sweet well mannered children..a great job, a cabin in the woods, a huge boat, house on the beach, etc. everything..'one day..he gets sick, loses his job, his wife leaves him and takes the kids, the house, the property and the boat...he goes nuts..is put in an insane aslymn...after 3 years he is cured..he has just enough money to take a short little cruise...on the cruise the boat sinks and he is left hanging on to a life vest in the middle of the ocean..he starts to weep.and crys out to the sky...why me god..why me..what did i ever do to you..why me?...and the clouds part and a voice from the heavens say:'I don't know Joe, there's just something about you that pisses me off."

maybe that's what's wrong here...ahhahahahah