Letter 4 - Be a Too

Why it's IMPORTANT to be a TOO!

Getting along in the world today can be difficult, even in the day to day interactions we have within the community. There is a lot of negativity and sensationalizing of things that should take up a lot less of our time, and positive things happening in and around our community that deserve more of our energy.

We live in a world where fat shaming and fit shaming is acceptable, you can get shamed for lacking a high IQ as well as being shamed for possessing too much intelligence. People can say you are too tall or too short, you are too quiet or too loud, too young or too old. They say you can be too ugly, but you can also be too pretty. Did you know that you can be too nice? Too quick? Too happy? Seems too crazy right?

So it goes to say: if you are too much of anything, someone will feel the need to say something about it. But why do we care? There is this mass exodus to move or shy away from being a too to only act like or wish to be like someone that falls somewhere in the middle. Somewhere where we won’t get noticed, where we fit in, where we can fly under the radar of someone else’s scrutiny. But why? Why, why, why? Why do you want to be anything other than yourself? What could be wrong with being you for the sake of being you? What if being exactly who you are, was the new normal Do you want to be the best version of yourself? Of course! Can you constantly strive to make yourself better? Yes! But you need to enjoy the journey just as much as you will when you reach the destination, because the entire time you are still you. You can never be too much of yourself, you can only be you, and that’s all that can ever be asked of you.

Dr. Suess is quoted saying Why fit in, when you were born to stand out? I can almost guarantee that anyone who has ever made a difference in the world, made history, or made someone’s day is a too in some way, shape, or form.

Get out there and Be a TOO, be you!

-Jennifer Wills
Director of Parks and Recreation