Today is Peculiar People Day! Let’s celebrate our wonderful weirdness!

Peculiar People Day is for anyone who swims against the tide or marches to the beat of his or her own drum. It is a time to celebrate silliness, weirdness, and quirkiness. It is a moment to acknowledge that yes, everyone is different, and that’s OK.

No, wait, it’s more than OK, it’s wonderful! It’s what makes you uniquely you.

Some of my peculiarities?

I have the tendency to sing my sentences. I’m afraid to drink hot liquids. I listen to an obscene amount of classical music. I gravitate towards grandparents. I think I would have thrived in the nineteenth century. I’m terrible with my phone. I’d rather not sit under a ceiling fan. I didn’t feel comfortable talking in class until college. I like disappearing between the bookshelves of Barnes and Noble for hours on end.

So wear what you want, like what you like, and listen to Emma Watson:

Now, here’s a list of five peculiar fictional people who have inspired me to just be myself:

Edward Scissorhands

I. Love. This. Movie. Like, a lot. I watch Edward Scissorhands whenever I’m in a weird mood, which in retrospect, is pretty often. If, for all these years, you thought it was a horror/thriller/creepy-crazy film because of Johnny Depp’s slashing scissor-fingers – WATCH IT RIGHT NOW. Edward is just a misunderstood boy who loves a girl and will do anything for her. We can all understand that.

Jessica Day

Oh, Jessica Day, I just adore you and your quirkiness. If not for this proclamation, I would have quieted my sing-songy-ness, so thank you.

“I brake for birds. I rock a lot of polka dots. I have touched glitter in the last 24 hours. I spend my entire day talking to children. And I find it fundamentally strange that you’re not a dessert person. That’s just weird, and it freaks me out. And I’m sorry I don’t talk like Murphy Brown. And I hate your pant suit. I wish it had ribbons on it to make it just slightly cuter. And that doesn’t mean I’m not smart and tough and strong.” The best.

Bernadette Fox

Where’d You Go, Bernadette is spectacular because of its zany main character, Bernadette Fox. She is snarky, sarcastic, and stressed. Her Microsoft-mogul husband and gnatty neighbors think she’s completely lost it but her 15-year-old daughter, Bee, is certain that her mother is fine, even after she’s flown the coop. And by that, I mean disappeared on a cruise to Antarctica.

Amélie

This is for the quiet ones. The ones who watch and listen. The ones who are caring and kind but are still working up the nerve to share their heart. The ones who melt into puddles at the mere sight of the person they like.

My favorite quote is from Amélie’s older neighbor, Raymond Dufayel: “So, little Amelie, your bones aren’t made of glass. You can take life’s knocks. If you let this chance go by, eventually your heart will become as dry and brittle as my skeleton. So, go and get him for Pete’s sake!” Amélie showed me that it’s okay to be shy, so long as it’s not holding you back.

Liz Lemon

The eye rolls. The fierce love for food. The fierce honesty. Need I say more? No, but Liz Lemon does:

“Who hasn’t made mistakes? I once french-kissed a dog at a party to try to impress what turned out to be a very tall 12-year-old.”

“My fanny pack is in my office in my mini fridge. I like my tampons to be cold.”

“I don’t think you wanna take advice from me on this. I ate a Three Musketeers bar for lunch and this bra is held together by tape.”

“I want someone who will be monogamous and nice to his mother. And I want someone who likes musicals, but knows to just shut his mouth when I’m watching ‘Lost.’ And I want someone who thinks being really into cars is lame, and strip clubs are gross. I want someone who will actually empty the dishwasher instead of just taking out forks as needed – like I do. I want someone with clean hands and feet and beefy forearms, like a damned Disney prince. And I want him to genuinely like me. Even when I’m old. And that’s what I want.”

Liz Lemon, I will always take advice from you.

HAPPY PECULIAR PEOPLE DAY, EVERYDAY.

Love,

A Proud, Peculiar Person

[Featured image via, Emma via, Scissorhands via, Jessica via, Amelie via, Liz 1 via, Liz 2 via]