You're different...

You are the sum of all your experiences. Everything that has happened to you has shaped who you are today. And, I mean everything. That shaping continues every second you are alive. Heck, I'll even go so far as to posit that you continue to change after you have died, decomposition more than likely being in effect to some extent.

The neat thing about this change, once you understand and embrace the idea that you are really constantly changing, is that most of this change goes relatively unnoticed. Sure, when you finally drop that extra weight, or get that much-needed plastic surgery, you see the immediate and quantifiable change. The more insidious and lasting change to who you are comes in the minuscule ways your life is pushed and directed by your day-to-day existence.

Those dear readers who went to Dunellen High School and were lucky enough to have Mr. Anthony Spadaro as a History teacher probably remember his infamous Plywood Theory. This theory states that when you are born, you mind is like a fresh piece of plywood. It has many layers bonded in different directions to give the piece strength and flexibility. I like his analogy. So, having been issued this pristine, flexible, strong, useful resource we work our way through life shaping it.

Here's where it gets interesting. Mr. Spadaro posed the argument that every exposure you had to popular culture-- whether through TV, tabloids, the prevailing social media (such as it was--this was the 1970's for goodness' sake) -- was like a drop of water slowly dripped onto that plywood brain.

In case you haven't had any experience with wet plywood, let me show you:

Nice, pristine, plywood:

 Warped, rotted, plywood:

As you might imagine, Mr. Spadaro held little regard for warped, rotted, useless plywood and warped, rotted, useless minds. 

With plywood, you keep it useful, and doing its intended job, by protecting it. You keep it out of the elements that might negatively effect it. You protect it with paint or sealer. You carefully shape it for use and when it's ready you put it to work. His concept of the mind was the same. You protected and developed thatt mind by teaching it to learn. You prepared it for the assimilation and application of useful knowledge. You carefully craft and shape the mind for its maximum effect. I wish I could speak with Mr. Spadaro today.

Dare to be different, embrace change, but remember to always be useful. In the words of Red Green, "If you can't be handsome, at least be handy."