Be Different

From childhood’s hour I have not been
As other were- I have not seen
As other saw- I could not bring
My passions from a common spring-

Edgar Allan Poe, ‘Alone’

I revisit this poem often. And as many before have claimed, poetry changes. The same lines which once meant one thing, now mean another. Life experience. Happiness. Depression. A solid hangover. Sobriety. Solidarity. The Hand of God.

I don’t much care for the thought of being benchmarked. In HS I refused to take the Grand Ole Test at the end of Senior Year to determine my future. ‘Ah! You belong at Harvard! But you! You belong in the streets sweeping Harvard!” Nah, those benchmarks were made by brains that don’t fit my non-squared process of being. So, I did my own thing. And things have turned out rather well.

One of the reasons I read Poe’s poem ‘Alone’ so often is that it reminds me, very clearly, how different Poe felt from his peers. I think many of us feel this way at times, and it’s OK.

Oh! I hit the weights for the first time since my injury. I kept it light and all is good! The scar is on the inside of my elbow bend. An odd place because of all of the movement needed to utilize an arm. I’ve held off on uploading a photo…I don’t know how many of my friends on here actually want to see that lol.

And ps, I’ve been that guy sweeping the street. There’s a reason I had a smile on my face.

Matt