How I Ended Up Being Different

If you think too much, do little social activities, care very little about other people's opinion of you, take frequent crazy risks, read a lot of classics, follow every single one of you passions, don't know how to give up and are perfectly okay living with the consequences of your lifestyle choice; you'll always be different. 

image: 360pi.com

Well, that's how I ended up being different. And as for how I got on that lifestyle path, it wasn't by choice. Growing up, while other children had to be coerced (gently or roughly) into reading I had an in-born affection for books. Unfortunately, there were not many children books in our home. My mum used to be a secondary school teacher and had many brown paper no picture 19th century novels. And my dad kept most of his medical lab science books. So I ended up reading Gulliver's Travels, African Writer Series, Black Arrow, Little Men, Little Women, Penguin's brown paper Shakespeare's books, philosophy books and medical books. The only book I can remember reading as a child that had illustrations (images inside) was the bible for children. So I got the curse of an over-analytical mind from starting my life on those books.

They formed the foundation of how my mind works and my values. I learned early in life that time changes everything. Especially, people's opinions and what they value (fashion). I wanted to focus more on the things that get better with time. And for the first 20 years of my life I didn't know what those things are but I knew what there are not. I knew fame doesn't get better with time so I never envied celebrities, even while growing up. If you had asked me who my heroes were you would have heard names of people who had died 2500 years ago (Socrates, Plato, ...) and authors of classic novels. They were the real celebrities to me. Long after they were gone, their works and lives still inspire. I also knew money for the sake of money never makes a happy old man.

Then not too long ago, I discovered the things that get better with time. I suck at one of them -- friendship. But I pursued with dedication the rest -- original writing, entrepreneurship, learning, being truthful and smart hardwork. Now I am happy to be different.