We've all seen them: The kid who stands alone at recess; the guy at work who eats alone; or the girl who walks home alone. They live in solitude without any choice on their part, and why? Because they're weird. Maybe they do things a little bit differently, maybe their interests lie in different places, maybe they like to talk about different things. Notice a common theme here? These people are different. But when did different become a bad thing? When did we learn to fear those who are different from us?

I can remember my friends in middle school telling me not to play with certain kids because they were a little weird. My friends didn't want me to associate with others because thought differently than we do. But instead of listening, I walked over and sat down. I watched the other kid's face cross several emotions in seconds: from confusion, to happiness, to apprehension and more. That moment was the beginning of a friendship that still exists today. But if I had listened, if I had let "the norm" get the better of me, I would've just walked by one of the most interesting people I could've known.

But let's flash forward to being on a college campus. Because here it happens all over again. Thousands of kids leave high school, some with the best memories of their lives and some with the worst, and look to reinvent themselves in a new place. But everyone is different and no matter how hard you try, it's impossible to leave everything from your old life. There is still always going to be "that weird kid" in your class, or living down the hall, or maybe they could even be your roommate.

I urge you to meet them. Make a difference. Go out and make the effort to talk to someone new every day and don't just talk to those who are easy to get to know. Because just maybe, you'll realize that you, too, are weird in some way.