The "Misfits" vs. The "Teflon" Peeps

Homeless Man at Moonlight Beach, Encinitas, CA. - October 2011

Have you ever stopped and wondered, maybe some people are destined to walk through life alone, while others seem to always have an easier road to follow? The misfits, the square pegs in the round holes, the outcasts, they never seem to “fit in.” They may be successful, or they may have been successful at one point in their life. They’ve loved and lost, experienced tragedy, pain, or heart-breaking loss of some kind in their life, many times more than once. They’re a “one-man show.” The others, the easy road people, are what I call teflon peeps. Nothing fazes them. They always seem to “come out smelling like a rose”, no matter what life tosses their way. On the other hand, maybe they’ve never experienced untold tragedy, misery, or pain like the misfits, or maybe it was simply minor in comparison.

Either way, it doesn’t matter, because no one is destined to go through life alone. That’s not God’s will. And yet, the reality is many of us do. Question is, why? It may be circumstances beyond our control, it may have been self-inflicted, or it may just be these people are going through life the way they are, because of their past. The sad part is everyone needs someone who cares for them, who will love them unconditionally, who will be their partner through good times and bad. It’s our nature to crave compassion, love, respect, and passion from another human being. It begins at childbirth. But then somehow God, karma, the universe, or whatever term you wish to describe it, conspires against these people with misfortune, misery, pain, and tragedy. They’ve been hurt so many times, it almost becomes a part of their life. Nothing comes easy. And when they do encounter success, in whatever fashion, even in love and relationships, they sub-consciously don’t know how to respond to it. It’s as if they need hardship, they need to feel pain in order to survive, because that’s all they’ve ever known.

In spite of this somewhat bleak view, these people have something the “teflon” peeps don’t; an uncanny knack of always finding a way to not only survive, but thrive when their backs are against the wall. And no matter how many times they’ve been knocked down, ridiculed, judged, or outright rejected, they seem to always find a way to pick themselves up, dust themselves off, and keep moving forward. In fact, some of the greatest people throughout history often failed miserably, suffered unforeseen tragedy and heartbreak, before they finally rose to the top.

So, what’s the answer? Why is it this way for some of us, while others seem to have smooth sailing in life? To me, it’s simple. The misfits are teachers. They show the rest of us by example on not only how to overcome adversity, but also to inspire us that we too can learn something from their lessons when we hit the wall. Because the fact is, all of us do at one point or another, even the teflon peeps. They serve as shining examples of guts, determination, the power of their will, their humility, their undying compassion. Their passion to LIVE. For without them, life would be boring and meaningless.

The lesson for us in all of this is clear; never judge a book by it’s cover. We sometimes never know what sort of hardship or pain others have been through. And rather than look down upon them, it would be wise instead to look UP to them, because it is they who will serve the rest of us by virtue of not only their triumphs, but also their failures.

"Once you choose HOPE, anything's possible" ~ Christopher Reeve

Just some rambling thoughts to ponder…..

“Gusto”