the Misfits

I’m proud to be a misfit. 

I’ll own it and wear it and even put a bow on it (if needed!).  Maybe a T-shirt with a logo.

Because this is who I am.  I have stuff, I know I have stuff and I get to own my sh*t, I mean stuff!

Most of us misfits do.

I want to be the anomaly I am.  The dichotomy of all the things that make me the unique person I’ve been and I’ve become.

And wouldn’t life be boring if we were all the same cookie cutter human beings that has so long been the goal… No longer, not here - not me. I’m sure there are some of you who still want that. And good for you. If that’s who you are, claim it and go after it. But me, my life has been unconventional. That’s a very light way of putting it. And in my 5th decade I realize that it’s good. I’m glad that I haven’t had the same path I thought I would be on. Makes for a much better documentary when I finally expire lol

Own your self. 

That may sound like an odd statement, but I simply mean find out who you are. And when you do find out, own it. 

I sat with a jewish couple yesterday at their house and the gentleman had this wonderful collection of cowboy hats. I asked him about them. He said he just liked hats. He put one on, showing me his ‘dressing in a suit’ cowboy hat, a beautiful black Stetson. Then he showed me his every day fedora. And then his white, beautifully woven hat with a feather tucked in the band.

He knew who he was. I told him I have a Tilly, a similar type hat, more for outdoors and hiking that I keep in my truck for when I get on the trails. I told him I wasn’t quite that comfortable wearing it anywhere else yet. His wife looked at me and said, ‘you get to decide that. Don’t let others make you feel uncomfortable. Own it.’

I thought about that the entire drive home last night. A 6+ hour nightmare of a drive from Savannah to Atlanta in the pouring rain (And this was before the hurricane that’s supposed to be coming in this evening).  It was a lot to chew on. And I realized it was good. We need people to spark our thoughts and help push us into new directions. Doesn’t mean we have to change everything, but it might just open up a new thought or path for us.

It also may help us realize that the misfits that we are, well they are pretty damn beautiful. And that instead of hiding them, I personally need to embrace it. And I’m so thankful I get to.

So, I get to decide. 

Which part of the unicorn am I going to be today? 

All of it. 

That’s who I am :-) 

~ Peace

The Burtle

What’s Your Superpower?

Michael Keaton. Comedic actor that had a couple of big hits in the mid to late 1980s. Mr. Mom, Night Shift and of course Beetlejuice… Beetlejuice Beetlejuice lol. 

And then it was announced that he was going to star in a new movie. An action movie. Michael Keaton was going to be Batman. 

Say what?! 

Michael Keaton could never be Batman. This is a comedy guy. This is someone who made his bones as a standup comedian then as a lovable energetic goofball. 

Batman? 

I remember going to the Thursday night… actually 12 AM Friday morning screening of Batman when it first was coming out. It was a packed. And whether it failed or succeeded, it created quite a buzz. Finally, there was a Batman movie. The last big superhero was Superman and Christopher Reeve owned that part (still does almost 50 years later).

I sat and watched. I was mesmerized. 

Michael Keaton absolutely WAS Batman. 

There was a hidden darkness and also intensity that had been part of his comedy but now through the black cloak and mask it was near perfect. The dark knight was menacing, almost smiling as he pummeled criminals. His Bruce Wayne was complicated and a little unnerving.

Who would’ve ever known? 

Sometime heroes are unlikely. 

I won’t go into my Batman rankings, though I will tell you, Ben Affleck is pretty damn low on the list… Christian Bale.  Definitely a close second overall.

Each of us has a superpower. I truly believe that. I know people who can kill you with kindness, and those who make you feel so beautiful with just the right word or tone.

I know two kids who have shown strength and resilience greater than the strongest people I’ve ever met. They’ve been through hell and they are still here.

I’ve seen others that have accomplished physical feats that marvel me - like the G.O.A.T. who took Atlanta to task at the Super Bowl several years ago. Still pissed about that one.  Brady could unretire today and probably put a team on his back and win (hmm, Atlanta.  Guess you missed on that one).

My own superpower, I don’t go away. I come back. Call me resilient man. And you may not agree with that, but I get to pick my own superpower, like the kids in the playground years and years ago.

I Fucking show up.

Even sometimes when I shouldn’t. But that is part of being resilient. You make mistakes, but you still bounce back.

And you’ve got a superpower too.

What is it?

Are you able to bring peace into a hostile situation with just your presence and a few calming words?

Do you have the power to stand in the gap for people who just can’t stand for themselves? Are you the leader who helps change the world to make things better? Do you have the power of listening? I’m working on that one.

Not everyone’s is the same. If all the superheroes  in the Justice League had the same power it would get pretty damn boring. And they probably would be a fight over who was the best. AND NO ONE WOULD WIN CAUSE THEY ARE ALL THE SAME - kinda like how well Stormtroopers hit their targets.

I don’t think Batman could take Superman in a fair fight, but I have a feeling he would have some kryptonite up his sleeve. And Wonder Woman - She could probably kick both their butts.

What I’m really trying to get at is that we have the ability to reach inside ourselves and find a power that is greater than ourselves. And in my own beliefs, I believe that God will lead you to that power. It’s really him, I just get to use a little bit of it while I’m here. Kind of like the Greatest American Hero put on that ugly red suit and tried to help others while still not understanding exactly how it all worked.

Again…

What’s your superpower?

Oh, and what color cape?

 ~ Peace

The Burtle

And about capes…

https://youtu.be/JSfG3slODnM?feature=shared