It's good to be different

Hello :)

Wanted to share a few things that happened this week <3

 Here are my new fishies :) I have some neon tetras (to the left), black neon tetras (above) and some harlequins (to the right) :) I love them! Especially not being as well this week I've thoroughly enjoyed       watching my fish swim about :)

I have posted about some of my new jewellery & crafts ideas on facebook, and they are going down really well :) If you'd like to have a look at what they are, visit my group http://www.facebook.com/groups/dreamersjewelleryandcrafts

This weeks blog post is about people who are different. Well, in all fairness everyone is different. You never get 2 people who are alike! But these are people who stand out more than others, and there is nothing at all wrong with that :)

What makes people stand out in a crowd? It could be obvious things like the way they dress or physical disabilities. But it also can be something like the way they act or how they talk. So many different things which make people different, it makes the world a lot more interesting :)

To start with I want to talk about people with disabilities, for an obvious reason ;) Being in a wheelchair doesn't change me at all, nor does the fact I can't walk much at all. I'm still me, and I just have an extra pair of wheels in my life :) I'm lucky, I haven't had too many judgemental people in my life. Everyone who is in at the moment accepts how I am & that I'm still the same Kate I used to be - just a bit more sleepy ;) But when I'm out, its a completely different story. People don't even look at you, no-one notices the 'wheelchair kid'. And if they do, it's because they are staring at you or talking about you. Sometimes the staring is just because they are wandering why you are in a wheelchair, what happened and some people are actually really horrible to people in wheelchairs (trust me, I know!). But y'know what, I'd love it if these people would just ask what's wrong. I hate talking about my illness, and don't particularly like explaining it, but its so much better when people understand and get educated about things. I'd love to be able to change the way people look at disabled people. I'm lucky in the sense that I won't be in this chair for life. But others aren't so lucky. And they have to deal with this every day and I think it's just wrong. A lot of people are scared of people in wheelchairs, as silly as it sounds. But we are all humans after all, some people might take a bit more understanding and effort, but we're all on Earth together :) 

 I think it's only since I have been in a wheelchair that I start to talk to disabled people a lot more. You exchange smiles to anyone else you see in a wheelchair when you're out & when I was able to go to college, I used to talk to the disabled students. I know when I'm better, I'll help them get doors, tilt up ramps, pushing..ect All the things you would only know are difficult with being in a wheelchair. 

Disabled people aren't just people in wheelchairs though. Things like autism are common, and it's nothing to be scared of. When I went and got my fish, there was a boy there with obvious learning difficulties, and he just really wanted to tell me about his fish and all the facts about the ones I was getting. It was lovely and all he really wanted to do was to have a conversation with someone, as no-one was really paying any attention to him when he tried to start a conversation as he came across 'very in your face' and hyper. Yes, it can be difficult engaging with them, but it's worth a shot. I can speak on all people who are disabled's behalf and say we just all want to be treated equally. So next time you see someone in a wheelchair, smile at them, comment on the colour of their wheelchair. Or if there is a disabled care group out, maybe ask one of the carers if they children like talking, and have a little conversation.  You could seriously make someone's day :)

Standing out from a crowd isn't always a good or a bad thing. It depends on the situation really. For example, if you are applying for a job and you have a perfect CV/interview you stand out as a brilliant candidate. But if you're on a night out and get extremely drunk and disorderly, that's not a good thing. The things I see as being 'right' when standing out from a crowd are things which don't cause any trouble! Also, standing out from a crowd can also cause judgements from other people. It could be the way you dress, act or react to situations. But I don't think other peoples judgements are something to be too concerned about!

The way you dress, especially in the teenage years, is quite a big thing. You will get labelled on it. Wearing black? You're a goth. Just got a good grade and like wear your tie like you're supposed too? You're a nerd. It actually puts a lot of pressure on society, but luckily it's something which wears off with the older you get. I don't think I ever completely 'fitted' any category when I was well. I was sporty, but also clever & hard working. I wore what I want, listened to a range of music, and hung out with a huge group of mixed people. Now, I really like having my own style. I absolutely love everything vintage, but have a modern twist ;) I make my own jewellery so it's suited to me and I have a really mixed wardrobe :p It's just who I am, and there's nothing wrong with that :) I have loads of friends with their own individual style, each is quirky and beautiful in their own way :) I like people who are a bit different, makes things more interesting & I like learning about other styles. I think that's what has made my jewellery making so successful :)

Think I'm blabbing on a bit here, but basically I wanted to say it's ok to be different. Don't be swayed by a crowd, do it your own way in style ;) And also, don't judge people because they are different too :)

So here's the question.. What makes you different? 

Craftiness

Going with the whole difference theme and appreciating everything, here's today craft project :) Flower pressing. Flowers are beautiful, you find all different kind, shapes, colours, sizes.. So why not use that? Cut off a flower head and place it in between 2 sheets of absorbent paper. After, weigh it down, with something like the yellow pages and leave for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, you will have your dried, pressed flower. You can use it to make cards, scrapbook decorations and much much more. Yes, you can buy a flower pressing kit for about £10, but this probably costs you 2p and is just as good! Happy flower pressing :)

kate x