Day 8: Beautifully Different

Today's #reverb10 Prompt: Beautifully different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different - you'll find they're what make you beautiful.

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This prompt is tough but useful. A nice meditation for a time when all I seem to be doing is running from one thing to another. I've noticed that many other people have completed this prompt in list form--a sort of here's what you need to know about me list of distinctiveness. The truth is, we're all different from one another--have our own likes, dislikes, quirks and foibles. And I think our prompter is correct--what makes you different, makes you beautiful--because our differences are what makes us unique individuals. I was at a conference recently, and a fellow participant made a reference to how everyone thinks they're a special snowflake, and that just made me laugh, because in a sense it's true, and, in a sense, at least in the context he was using the phrase, it's definitely not. Sometimes, it's our commonalities that matter--sometimes our differences--our special snowflake-ness if you will. So here's what makes me, at least in my opinion, a special snowflake. Friends may agree or disagree, or even add to the list. Feel free.

1) I'm the oldest of 6 children [this is a different experience, let me tell you. If you're from a big family you understand why, if you're not, well, you probably understand why too].

2) My friends use my name as an adjective for things. As in: San Francisco is a very "Libby" city. Or, that scarf is very "Libby."

3) I feel I see the world differently than most--I'm hyper-observant. This is largely a product of moving many, many times over as a kid. I can read a room and make very quick judgements on people out of necessity. I'm wrong every once in awhile. Not often in this regard. I also pick up on subtleties in texts. It's helpful in what I do. I'm great at finding relevant quotes/evidence.

4) I read differently than most people. I read very fast, and also, I don't really read left to right. I see the whole sentence/paragraph/page and sort of drink in the text that way. I devour images in similar fashion.

5) I will bend over backwards to try and help you succeed. This is true, I think, especially in regards to my students. I take great pleasure in teaching someone new information, or how to do something. I will drag you, kicking and screaming, to make yourself better than you ever thought you could be. I will challenge you, and expect a lot. But I will give you a lot in return.

6) I'm very good at reconstructing and understanding past events. I'm terrible at things that require projection [calculus, chess, etc]. This is one reason, I think, why I was drawn to history very early on in life.

7) I do too much. But this is partially a result of my WIDELY varying interests. For instance, I'm a college history professor and I also coach collegiate level track and field throwing events. It's neither an easy nor an expected combination--this statement is true of many things in my life.

8) I was a very good hammer thrower in college. If you participate in this event, you are different, without a doubt.

9) I'm a terribly hard worker who has also been very, very, lucky.

10) I'm a cancer-survivor--a badge of differentness in some ways. I have battle scars. I wear them proudly.

11) I'm strong, mentally and physically.

12) I have a lot of gray hair at a relatively young age...and I love it.

13) I have a gift for healing that I've not even begun to fully explore--this is for career #2. If you're hurt, I can pinpoint the spot almost immediately. I'm a certified Reiki practitioner who doesn't often practice. This gift sometimes frightens me, but it often manifests itself in useful ways for others, so I like it.

14) I like to think on my feet.

15) I'm addicted to diet coke.

16) I recently returned to vegetarianism and am loving it.

17) I like wearing scarves, and vibrant colors, and slightly weird sneakers and other shoes.

18) I LOVE talking to people--sharing their stories. I love listening. I'm good at both.

19. I wish I had more time to take pictures. I'm fairly good at it--always catching a different angle or seeing something others don't.

20. I have a tremendous amount of patience with others. Very little for myself, and I am a TERRIBLE patient.

21. I always wanted to live in Maine, and now I do.

22. I'm honest but fair.

23. I'm fiercely loyal.

24. It takes me a long time to fully trust people--but when I do, it's lasting.

25. You want me around in a crisis.

26. I like things that sparkle.

27. My eyes are my favorite feature. They're very different with green and blue and yellow--always changing.

28. I'm stubborn to a fault and not overly fond of boundaries. I'm a big believer in merit.

And finally, one time, when we were in college, on the occasion of my 21st birthday, my roommate and dear friend Kiera wrote to me, when we were on the island of Martha's Vineyard, that I reminded her of the ocean--always calming, never at peace. She wrote that about me 12 years ago. It's still true, and one of the best characterizations of myself I've ever heard.