By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
Would you rather be normal or peculiar?
Think about the successful and noteworthy people through the ages, the ones you admire and respect. Were they boring or a bit quirky? Courageous? Distinctive? Set apart? Not afraid to take a stand for what was right? Mysterious? Bold? Resilient? Outliers? Unaffected by others’ opinion?
I think you understand where I’m going with this.
The first time someone said I was eccentric, bizarre, and a little quirky, I had to think about it. The more brain cells I poured into the comment, the more I liked the description. While some people might not be comfortable with the label of peculiar, I welcomed it.
In digging deeper, I found the online Merriam-Webster Dictionary lists 197 synonyms for peculiar. That tells me there are many of us, and we warrant a special celebratory day of our own.
The same link lists antonyms too: ordinary, normal, typical, average, unremarkable, standard, usual, and more. Peculiar is a positive for all the people who don’t want to hide under a doormat.
Peculiar has Latin roots in peculiaris, which means privately owned or extraordinary. It also traces back to pecuor cattle, with the idea of owning cattle as private property.
In Deuteronomy 14:2 KJV 2 For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth.
Other versions of the Bible, such as the ESV and NIV, peculiar is translated as chosen.
1 Peter 2:9 ESV 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Quotes about peculiar people:
“When you are convinced that what you offer is yours, whether it be mediocre or of standard quality, your originality will make people love you in a way you did not expect.” Michael Bassey Johnson
“To become a person does not necessarily mean to be well adjusted, well adapted, approved of by others. It means to become who you are. We are meant to become more eccentric, more peculiar, more odd. We are not meant just to fit in. We are here to be different. We are here to be the individual.” James Hollis
I’m very happy being among peculiar people. So how are you going to celebrate January 10 – National Peculiar People Day?
