How I Was A Weird Kid

I was a weird as a child. As a kid I was different in my own way. I was always very shy and didn't talk a lot. I had severe social anxiety and didn't talk to anyone other than my family until the age of 10 (story for another day). I was not outgoing at all and didn't run around like normal kids. I'd rather sit and read a book than play games or socialize with others my age. I was a bit of a loner and would rather play on my own. I did have a great imagination though and have fond memories of adventures I made my toys go on. I did frustrate adults because I didn't laugh or chatter like normal kids. I remember for Christmas and Birthdays my family would hype up my presents and try to get me to act excited but when I'd open something I wouldn't smile much or bounce up and down like normal kids. I was really happy to get my gifts but I had such a serious personality that I was very reserved and quiet in my actions.

I've always been a critical thinker, even as a kid. I was constantly watching the people around me trying to understand their actions. I never wanted to be a "sheeple" and do what the crowd was doing because I found a lot of human behaviors silly. I suppose I tended to think too much about things.

As an adult I'm more expressive now and less serious. My need to critically analyze things is still very strong and I think that is why I've stayed in college going on 10 years. It's the only place where I've met other people who enjoy learning and talking about "intellectual" topics like theories and science. In college I finally met people I'd been yearning to meet my entire life and had a social circle of people like me. This helped me to become more outgoing and I laugh and joke around a lot more now.

Even though I was a weird kid who spent a lot of time alone, I think it worked well for me to be successful in life. I'll have my doctorate in Sociology soon and hopefully a good paying job in academia. Being weird as a kid isn't a bad thing. It's just hard when there aren't any other weird kids like you around.