Personal Narrative: I Am The Outsider

One reason why outsiders are not misjudged or misunderstood is because in a typical situation, the outsider is making a conscious decision to stray from society. In high school, it’s very apparent that there are many separated social groups, and although this may seem daunting, when it’s your everyday life, you come to find that there’s something for everybody. All you need to do is look to the small commons at lunch, and you’ll find at least a

I’ve always wondered what the outside world was like. As a cooter turtle, I’ve been living inside the same old glass walls filled with unnatural water. It felt like prison. No matter how much I swam, I would see the exact same things over and over again- small rocks, plants, and two other strange objects that I couldn’t identify. My turtle mate, River, had guessed that one of the strange objects were probably a human object used to keep the water “clean”. I found that kind of strange since the water was never clean anyway. River was a Red-Eared slider and was a few inches smaller than me. Or at least I thought he was. I’ve always thought of him as a scaredy fish because he always ran away from everything. Whenever the Twoleg came towards us, he would dash away like as if he saw a ghost, and whenever I asked him why he was so afraid, he would refuse to answer.

One reason why outsiders are not misjudged or misunderstood is because in a typical situation, the outsider is making a conscious decision to stray from society. In high school, it’s apparent that there are many separated social groups, and although this may seem daunting, when it is your everyday life, you come to find that there’s a unique place for everybody. All you need to do is look to the small commons at lunch, and you’ll find at least a dozen outsiders, all banded together, eating lunch. There is no fathomable reason an outsider would not fit in there, let alone somewhere else. As anticipated, there are exceptions to every situation, such as Gregor from “The Metamorphosis”. He didn’t have a say in his transformation, and looked so repulsive society would have to break in half and do a full spin to accept him again. “She was standing here with her hair sticking up on end… with her hands clasped,” (Kafka 147). However, that does not ever happen in the real world, making it clear that if students really strived to fit in, there is a spot for everyone.

Being an outsider is not the bad thing it is typically exposed as. It provides the person with a different point of view than others that can thus lead to innovations that cause the betterment of society. If everyone were to live together without a difference causing one to feel less included no one would feel the need to prove themselves or develop an new ideas and innovate society. The society as described in “Doll’s House” by Katherine

Every since I came to this city I have been feeling like a stranger. It is difficult to leave your hometown, what you are used to, and go to some weird city you have never been to before.

I never thought I would be labeled an outsider, a misfit even. As I trudged my way through the halls of my small town high school, I would endure the gazing pairs of eyes, that belonged to my peers, followed by whispering and often times some laughter. I always used zone out during those repetitive speeches and commercials about the effects of gossiping and rumors; never did I imagine that one day I would be on the receiving end of of the everyday potshot. Growing up I was always the center of attention, the one everyone yearned to be friends with, never was I the antisocial child in the corner with nowhere to turn… not until high school. They say high school changes you. They say high school accounts for some of the greatest years of

When it comes to what separates me from other teenagers, there would be quite a bit to tell. I would say a major difference which separates me from my peers is my love for barbershop harmony music. I do not have a quartet of my own; however, I love to sing barbershop tags with other friends at church. I set myself apart from the world because of my beliefs: as a New Testament christian, I believe the bible gives us all instruction concerning spiritual matters.

Much of my life I have been an outsider. One could not tell this by solely looking at my life. I have a well-established friend group and was Prom Queen on top of that. I am also an officer of various clubs, which could not happen if I was disliked by my peers. If one looked closely, and had an almost omnipresent view of my life, they would see that despite these accomplishments, I have wandered through much of my life feeling alone.

An outsider is someone that doesn’t belong in a particular organization or group, the orphan boy and the elk dog is a story that talks about an outsider boy that’s rejected by everyone around him because of his disabilities and difference between him and everyone around him. My personal experience about being an outsider happened 4 years ago and it was a very tough experience that I hope I’d never go through again.

My whole life I’ve felt like an outsider. When I was younger dealing with a learning disability, I have had a hard time making and keeping friends even to this day. I struggle with being a follower instead of a leader. My own adoptive father verbally abused me growing up and I also had kids in fifth-sixth grade who constantly bullied me. I still am reminded of an instance when the first day of fifth grade approached: I got on the bus and these older girls started making fun of my pants saying, “She’s wearing high-waters.” I was humiliated in front of my peers every day since than during those two years. After being bullied for so long I made a vow to myself to never forget the pain inflicted upon me on a daily basis.

Would anyone want to be told they’re an Outsider? The answer is no. Therefore, you should never ever call someone an Outsider. Why? you may ask because Outsider means they have a rough life, stand out as well as they don’t fit in, are excluded, furthermore they’re treated poorly. Outsiders should be comforted, not mistreated the way they are because obviously they are going through hard times. You could hurt someone’s feelings very badly by telling them they’re different. Like when the Greasers were called “Greases” ( Someone will come by and scream “Greaser!” at them, which doesn’t make you feel too hot ⁽⁴⁾). If feel you are mistreated along with considering you may be an Outsider think again. Life was rough, particularly for the Greasers who were all Outsiders. Baggy clothes, long hair, also getting into fights almost every five seconds, these boys stuck out like a sore thumb. Always excluded from Soc groups, treated poorly, the Greasers rebelled while Johnny Cade killed a guy.Outsiders were only included in groups of their own kind. Watching Outsiders get overlooked by the Socs is a terrible sight to see(All Socs aren’t like that⁽³¹⁾). In fact, now I come to think of it, all Greasers are close to being the definition of Outsider. Poor, standing out, mistreated, in other words they are overlooked by everyone. Outsiders truly wanted to fit in. But still, standing out, Outsiders were never talked to by Socs(, unless the Socs were jumping them). Outsiders were excluded.

For most couples, its all consuming, instant adoration. But for me and my wife, it was affection at first sound. She called me at 2 am, and I happened to be remaining by the telephone, so she vented to me, the faceless outsider. We wound up talking for hours, knowing each other, and becoming hopelessly

When I was thinking about what I wanted to write about my experience as an outsider, all that came to my head is my experience so far in college. Every adult in my life told me before I came to Fitchburg that “oh everyone will like you” or “these are the friends you have for the rest of your life”. I came into college with high hopes and

Oh, to see what I wish I didn’t. To see an image staring back at me that I don’t identify with. To long to be accepted, and wonder if ever such a thing could happen. For now, all I can do is move on and pursue something to challenge the “norm”. I suppose it’s time to go forth and spread ideas that no longer require there to be a fear of ourselves. I guess it’s about time for me to do this on my own, even though I am at the ripe age of 62.

I stood on the sidewalk in front of the Honolulu airport, by myself in a place I had never been before. I was surrounded by people and families busy collecting luggage and being picked up by shuttles and friends. People passed by looking at me sideways with wondering looks was I alone, did I need help.