I saw an article the other day about a girl who had a problem with her spine, and she could not walk. She worked with physical therapists her whole high school career so that she could walk across the stage on graduation day. When the day finally came, she did just that, and received a standing ovation. It was a very inspiring story. She was very excited as she explained that she had always wanted to "fit in" and be able to walk with her classmates. This got me thinking.
I disagree with the concept of fitting in. I understand that this girl did not want to be unique by being defined by her wheelchair, and I applaud her efforts and determination. However, I'm talking about other things like style, abilities, talents, interests, and so on. We've all seen this scenario before in movies and/or TV shows (For me, recently it was Doctor Who: Season 2 episodes 6 and 7). Although uniform, interchangeable parts in machines may be beneficial, humans should not work that way in society. It means we are easily replaced, predictable, boring. And no one wants to feel that way.
So now I introduce my metaphor of the puzzle piece. People should strive to be like the puzzle piece. Sorry if I sound like your 4th grade camp counselor, but this still applies. Every piece is different, and each piece has individual aesthetic appeal that is unlike any other piece. Now when people with a common goal come together, they can create something greater than any individual person could create. Each person brings their own unique abilities and talents to benefit the whole group. Just like puzzle pieces can come togther to make a whole image. (Got to throw in a teamwork metaphor while I'm in camp counselor mode.) Now there are many whole puzzles out there in the world. Whether or not those fit together, I'm not sure. I'll leave that to your imagination.
With that, I leave you with a paradox: Remember, you're unique, just like everyone else.
