eird.

That is how my roommate referred to me when she introduced herself to my other roommate's friends.

I was not around to witness this introduction take place, but I imagine the dialogue going something like this: Hey, I am one of her roommates, not the weird one though.

Just to refresh everyone's memory on the definition of weird, here it is: someone or something of an odd, peculiar or bizarre character. But that is just one of three available definitions.

A long time ago in a galaxy far far away, I may have taken offense to that remark.

Now, I smile, embrace my weirdness and make fun of all the normal people.

Just kidding.

But, seriously, everyone has their own little quirks that make them who they are.

So in a sense we are all weird.

Everyone has their own taste and opinion.

Second of the three available definitions: one's assigned lot or fortune.

Mr. Webster says that weirdness is an assigned lot or fortune, eh?

Then we weird people must stick together and exploit this fortune as much as we can.

So if you want to make fun of me because I watch Invader Zim, my healthy appetite for adding Worcestershire sauce to almost everything I eat or maybe because one of my favorite movies is The Labyrinth, go ahead.

You watch Rugrats even though you are almost 21, and you burp louder than Sasquatch and do not say excuse me.

She knows who she is and she knows that I adore her, but I apologize because I had to prove a point.

This column's purpose is not to poke fun at anyone but to embrace the poking.

Some people spend their entire lives trying to live up to other's expectations, when they would have done just fine living up to their own.

If people do not like you for who you are, they were not worth your precious time anyhow.

There is no point in playing Playdough with your personality.

It was molded when you were very young and should not be tampered with.

Think about all the people you know. Ê

Who makes you laugh the most? Ê

Is it because they are obnoxious or weird?

Ah ha, you have a weird friend. Do you love them any less?

No, you do not, because they are the only ones laughing when no one else is.

They have crazy body spasms on purpose in the middle of Wal-Mart.

They are just as easily amused as you are.

They are not afraid of what other people think because they can think for themselves.

Think about it.

In closing, I would like to thank all of you who have taken on such a tremendous task of reading my very first column.

It took more than I thought to put a few ideas together to create a semi-interesting journalistic piece, but I think I may have accomplished that goal.

Thanks again.

Erin Bass is a sophomore journalism major from Bossier City and serves as a news editor for The Tech Talk. E-mail comments to emb023@latech.edu.