To ask if you were the weird girl in school

[likemindedarseholes]

Do you still feel like the weird one?
I think I will always feel different. I don't dislike the feeling.
I go between thinking that perhaps everyone is weird in their own ways and feeling that maybe a lot of people enjoy things that I don't. I don't feel any superiority that I don't enjoy mainstream music or normal clothes. It's just different preferences.
I worry sometimes that my kids will not be weird. And that I won't be able to relate their childhood or teenage experience. That's all

I was always the quirky one in my group of friends. I still am! I was into alternative stuff and witchy things and dressed differently to the fashion most of the time. When new people joined our friendship group they’d be a bit wary but soon got used to
me and if they didn’t, well, I didn’t give a shit.
I go by the motto ‘why fit in when you were born to stand out’
I’ve always had loads of friends and a good social life though. I am also neutotypical.

@groovergirl
I'm the same. If I wear trousers then I prefer dungarees as they feel less restricting.
One of my girls is the same as me, although she lives in leggings, and the other does like jeans, but prefers jeggings.

Yep, I was. Recently diagnosed with Autism.

I don't like to brag, but I got called a "fucking weirdo" out of the blue by a complete stranger last week. In M&S of all places. It did upset me actually.
That said, I don't particularly recall being called weird as a kid. Freak though yes. Not sure how much it bothered me though.

Yup. I was the weird one, still am.

I went to two secondary schools - I chose to switch in 4th year. At the first one I was the only child in the whole school with divorced parents. It only went on from there.

I'm still the odd one.

It kinda sucks that I don't have anyone that shares my interests but I've learned to live with it.

I was weird, geeky, odd one out with no friends. Generally blanked by people in school. Loved reading (still do), very academic (still am). Found my tribe when I went to university. I have very good friends, most of whom are also geeky. I love it, and am really comfortable with who I am, but hated school.

@Hadenoughofthisbullshit

True *@ShowOfHands* but many of us were called weird frequently at school.

@Hadenoughofthisbullshit

I know. I was one of those children. As was my brother who has suffered more for it, particularly being undiagnosed until in his 40s.

My colleague recently said I'm "delightfully eccentric" which I much prefer!

I was arty, bookish and a Goth. I was/am a feminist and I loved rock festivals and alternative gigs, the ballet and opera. At the sort of schools I went to this was likely considered 'weird'.

I haven't changed all that much. The irony is that at school I stuck out like a sore thumb, whereas these days I'm an academic and all this stuff is pretty much conventional!

As the old saying goes, fake it 'til you make it.

At times, yes. I had outrageous feminist ideas, like thinking that the reason that there weren't many famous female artists and composers might be because women hadn't been allowed to become artists and composers, and not because women are naturally shit at art and music. This was considered radical and subversive in the 1980s, and I was repeatedly told that no man would ever marry me. Looking at my male classmates, this didn't seem like much of a threat.

Yes. Am extremely awkward. Despite trying, find it hard to make real friends. Giving up.

Yes. I was weird, shy and had no interest in getting drunk and getting off with lads. Luckily I had a tight group of friends who were also weird, so we were all happy.

Yes - and I had a little gang of odd mates

Poor kid - no fancy clothes - the era of Pringle sweaters and Kicker shoes - I used to wear my mum vintage clothes - 60's and 50's cocktail wear or kaftans!

Very political and also very Irish name - so told to fuck off to Russia or go blow something up all the time

My mates where 1, care experienced with a difficult home life, new girl in year 10 and another who came from an interesting hippy household - I think we had a lot of fun being different.

Never was one of the popular kids - I'm still a geek - my friend put up with it!

I was most definitely weird! Even today 25 years since I've left school I still get old school mates saying "remember when you did........."? I am still very weird and my husband and child is weird and we love it. ❤️

I was the little weirdo in school and suffered for it. Life hasn't been easy, but since being diagnosed with asd at age 50, I'm more at peace with myself.

Yep.
I was apparently 'weird' and bullied endlessly for being so.
I got abuse everyday, I couldn't win. I was mocked for being skinny, 'foreign' and liking weird music (I was a typical late 80s indie kid, nothing more extreme!)

I was considered to be weird because of all of the above plus I was 'too quiet'
Funny that, apparently you're meant to be outgoing and confident whilst simultaneously being bullied

I'm 51 now, still quiet but full of confidence these days and ironically my 'weird' looks have aged well and I'm now a petite, olive skinned stunner (apparently!)
I found my 'tribe' once I'd left secondary school and they are still my friends 30 years later.

My colleague recently said I'm "delightfully eccentric"

I've had 'quite normal, considering' and 'relatively sane' said in relation to me.

Was always the weird one and still am. It started early on at junior school when I came across the concept of fashion and thought it was the most bizarre idea ever invented. I still think that and find our culture hard to live in. Thankfully I live with another weird person and we get along just fine. Coming across other people who are weird like us can be a real joy and I get the feeling they think that too.

Yes weirdo here. Never felt like I fitted in. Always felt different and struggle with social skills. Still feel the same. There are aspects to this I like about but a lot I don't. I feel very lonely most of the time and don't really have any friends. Certainly not close ones.

As others have says turns out I am ND (I have ADHD). Doesn't make it any easier tbh. People don't really understand ADHD and therefore don't make allowances. And tbh I don't think people can be bothered to make allowances. They just want easy friends that they enjoy spending time with, not someone that doesn't quite fit in and they have to think about. People are busy and have their own lives to navigate and problems to deal with.

I was. I didn't have nice clothes because we were poor. I was studious (I wanted to do well so I wouldn't be poor anymore) and crushingly shy. I didn't take care of myself because I didn't feel there was any point.

On the outside I'm successful and confident now but really I'm still that girl and I'm always scared I'll get found out.

I don't have any friends from my school days (because I didn't have any whilst I was there) which makes me very sad.

Yes was also badly bullied which has left me with a serious mental health condition and poor self esteem.

I was rather individual. At the time I put some of it down to an unconventional family (for many reasons) then a badly timed house move across the country to a school with little movement.

In secondary I ended up with the other misfits and oddballs (I now strongly suspect that my best friend was autistic for many reasons). By 6th form I was accepted by the Alternatives/ Rockers even though I didn't fit that culture either.

I was a bit of a Hermione Granger and did what I wanted. In that way, I'm unusually confident. I didn't need a posse to go to choir or drama which was just as well because my friends wouldn't, but because everyone else did, there were no spare friendships to be had. I can get lost in my thoughts easily and often my imagination would go off on a tangent and get me giggling at apparently nothing. Bullies tried it on a few times through school life, but I was disappointingly resistant for an under-sized, oddball who could often be found on her own and they usually headed off for easier pickings fairly soon.

I found my tribe at uni in a society and met DH out of it and several lasting 20+year friendships. We were all rather individual, some neurodiverse, some not. I've got a lot of ND friends, they're interesting and often down to earth (the battle to get out of the house with no disasters is a great leveller)

DS has various diagnoses. I'd take a punt on dyspraxia/ ADHD for me. I still need lots of hobbies, can often be found ploughing on doing my own thing and my focus has no nuance. DS is autistic, but I doubt that I am and when I read about ADHD in women, it's like the people I know wrote a biography about me. Organisation, co-ordination and general accomplishments like learning to ride a bike at 19 also fit Dyspraxia.

Not read all the replies, but just wanted to say
Define weird?!
If you mean weird as in I was never in any so called cool gang, wouldn't have wanted to be in one if you'd have paid me.
I've always worn "weird clothes" (if by weird you mean alternative)
Never given a shit what people think of me either lol.
Always had my head in a book too.
Neither of those in my eyes are weird, and I think sometimes the so called weird people are the best friends as they take you for who you are.
Not superficial crap like what you wear or who you like.

I was but mainly because we moved about a lot, Mum trying to escape abusive step father. So I went to 11 schools. Nearly always started mid term and everyone had made friends, formed groups. Even now I never quite feel I fit in in a group of friends. I'm better one to one.

Yes because I liked classical music and maths and always did my homework ( not the norm in my school 😀) I got teased but it was good natured. Didn’t do me any harm as I knew who I was and what I liked and am the same today it’s good to be yourself I think

Yeah, weird and also pretty unlikeable - I was clever and studious but also a complete pain in the arse. Luckily, I went to an academic secondary where you weren’t pilloried for studying, or I would have got utterly destroyed. I am an child and parents basically failed to teach me social skills and how to interact with other kids. Being clever and academic were characteristics that were most highly valued (particularly by my mother). And everything - EVERYTHING was a competition.

As an adult, am outgoing and funny and really don’t take myself half as seriously as I used to. But I was about 30 before I really started to mature emotionally and professionally. I feel my (older) parents have quite a lot to answer for, TBH. I still really struggle to form meaningful, LASTING friendships (although I have many, many acquaintances).

Yep, this is my tribe. Even now I can tell that I'll be left out of a particular group because my face doesn't fit.
It helps that I ride a motorbike, you're accepted because you have a common interest.

At school I didn't want to wear a Pringle jumper or fashionable gear to fit in, I wanted EMO stuff because it made me feel safe somehow. Maybe it was armour to hide behind.
I just didn't behave like my contemporaries, their behaviour just made me really confused.

I'm more accepted now because I probably give off a 'don't give a shit' attitude, but I do care.
I'm also exploring the ADHD diagnosis scenario. And I work by myself, which helps a lot. 😆

My school days were hell until I found my tribe, which gave me the confidence to ignore the bullies.
I'm still in contact with my school friends 30 years later, and we still fit like a glove.
But I was definitely the weirdo.