We finally had a beautiful day in Atlanta, warm and sunny! Upon rising at 6:30 a.m., I started the day out with a nice 8-miler (the last pre-marathon long run), had some quality bonding time with Buck the truck, listened to my incredibly talented roommate, Emily, play guitar during mass, and ended the day with dinner and Yoforia, in good company. With such a wonderful day, it is difficult to constrain this to just one positive thing. However, I did witness something out of the ordinary today, even for us Techies.
As I made my way to the fraternity where we met for our run, I noticed that campus was bustling with activity, which is highly unusual for a bunch of recovering engineers early on a Saturday morning. By the time this had registered with my exhausted brain, I also noticed that the traffic was the result of dozens of people dressed in absurd costumes. I was rather startled to find myself surrounded by hair of colors red through purple, fishnet stockings, swords, Pokémon, and the occasional storm trooper. Welcome to Georgia Tech on the weekend of the much awaited anime convention.
Once our run started, I made my way through Tech Square, dodging a 40-year-old Pikachu and trying my best not to tread on any capes. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself. Tech had truly been transformed into nerd paradise. I thought of the clash that would occur once all of the slumbering frat boys awoke and found their lawns covered with various digital characters instead of the usual spattering of Natty Light cans. I am certain that “freak” is one of the nicer terms that would be tossed around. This got me thinking. I wondered if the anime people saw us running amidst them at 10 a.m. on a Saturday and thought we were freaks for doing a marathon? Or if the frat boys were freaks for partying?
Who are we to determine what is “normal”? It has been said that consensus dictates sanity…but the consensus of whom? If dressing up like its Halloween in the middle of March floats your boat, then go for it! If you like to wake up at noon and wander around in flannel pajamas, who’s going to stop you? My positive thought of the day is that we are capable of coexisting as individuals. We do not have to conform to anyone’s standards. If you are seeking acceptance, chances are there will always be a group that shares your passions, no matter how absurd they may be. So here’s to you, from the caped Lord of Darkness to the Kentucky fans painted blue in Centennial Park for the big game to everyone who woke up one morning and had the strange urge to run 26.2 miles: keep doing what you’re doing. Chances are, someone thinks you’re a little on the mentally unstable side. Chances are, things will be said about you and you will face opposition. But, chances also are, you will be doing something you love. And isn’t that worth every bit of it?
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