EVERYONE HAS A PLACE: Like Stars on Earth, Every Child Is Special

'Dayo Adeyokunnu

 ''Like the many stars in the dark skies we all have our own place, we all are different, unique beings. Every child has his/her own talents, dreams and aspirations, more importantly everyone his/her own person''

 I grew up being different in my home. I was the quiet one, the secretive one, the one that kept a diary instead of talking about how I felt. I was the one that would prefer to stay at home when others went out to have fun. I was the one that would opt for novel reading on my bed when everyone was gisting in the living room. I had a different opinion about stuffs, my younger sister even calls me weird. I loved traveling on impulse, I just loved doing all the crazy impossible things. I was different. I am different and I love it. What is more important to me is, my parents understand that no child can ever be the same. They understand that we all have our place, our peculiarity, our capabilities and weaknesses. My mum would call my sister to make up for her or help her match clothes, but she'll never call me for that. I suck at fashion. She'll call my other sister when she needs to shop…arggh I hate shopping. She’ll probably call me when she needs to look for something she hid donkey years ago, I am a guru at finding things out. Loool. You see! We are all different and she knows that! 

Now imagine someone being different because of a health condition, or someone being different because of circumstances he / she grew up in. Imagine being wrong because you are different. Imagine   you have to live that life in the midst of folks who'd do anything to make you normal, they'll make it a prayer request as if being different is leprosy. Imagine being castigated because you just see the world differently. Imagine being named a misfit because you get excited by crazy things. Imagine being treated with disdain and being rained insult on because you are different.

I watched "like stars on earth" recently and that movie just drives this point home for me. Ishaan was a beautiful child with an awesome imagination. He was dyslexic- he was never good with reading, writing but he beat the whole school hands down in arts. Don’t we all have our own place?  Those things we are better than everyone in. So yes, this write up is dedicated to the Ishaans of this word, the gems amongst us… Like the apple posters said: 

 "Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them.  About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They invent. They imagine. They heal. They explore. They create. They inspire. They push the human race forward. Maybe they have to be crazy. How else can you stare at an empty canvas and see a work of art? Or sit in silence and hear a song that’s never been written? Or gaze at a red planet and see a laboratory on wheels? …while some see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do"

One lesson I am continually learning is not to treat people badly because they are different from me. It’s a great lesson for you and me to keep learning. Live and let others live. We all don’t have to see the world in the same way. In fact life would have been boring if it were so. God created us in his image, but he created us uniquely. "Harmony in a world of differences" That must have been the master plan. The greatest gift of God to humanity is for you to live AS YOU. You are different! Love it, rock it…

About the author: Adedayo Adeyokunnu is a colleague, friend and big sister. She has a gap-toothed smile that will melt the hardest rock. She loves adventure and she's a lot of fun. She expresses herself through her blog: www.dayorwrites.blogspot.com and you can follow her on twitter @dayor_