Kids who are different

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Here's to the kids who are different. It's a touching poem that appears to be about kids who 'have ears twice the size of their peers'. But we don't have to read very far before we realize it's about a lot more than kids. There's another piece called Island of the MisFit Toys that has the same theme, and the same resolution; the toys are gathered because no one wants them, and they become the most revered toys in the end. Dumbo is another classic story of the 'different' kid that gets picked on, ridiculed, shunned. The bottom line of all these stories is that we make fun of odd people who insinuate themselves into our midst, because we lack the courage to stand up and greet them, welcome them, and thereby risk being considered odd ourselves. It's a real dilemma for us, because in this society standing out is promoted, prized, and valued. How much better would we all feel with the ability to not only welcome the oddballs into our company, but to seek them out? Take a different kid to lunch soon.