Cred Destroyer
I never fitted in, and I'm so damn proud of it.

I went to this rather safe, upper-middle class CofE High school in North Yorkshire, populated by some very pleasant but still rather personally repressed individuals. Thrust into this environment after the safe confines of a local village school, I quickly realised that aspiring to be one of the "cool" kids was a complete waste of effort and would carry with it few benefits anyway.

Instead I made a point of being as "different" as possible. Whilst all teenagers were obsessed with how they looked and conforming to a fashion style, I ignored it and wore what I wanted how I wanted. Whilst everyone else was obsessed with looking cool and listening to the right bands and being seen in the right places in town, I unashamedly brandished a love of cheesy pop music, danced around with joy if I felt like it and didn't care how many teachers I had a good relationship with.

In short, I was different, because that defined me far more than any sense of belonging would ever have done. Sometimes it meant friendships were a struggle, as you could see the people I was mates with fighting an internal battle between getting along with me really well and the potential for all their credibility to be wiped out in an instant if they were seen talking to me.

It all meant I was launched into the outside world with a personality, an enthusiastic sense of individuality and completely lacking in fear of being looked at, exposed or otherwise subject to scrutiny. It meant I was able to develop a career as an entertainer, working in high profile media roles, developing a small measure of fame and making sure that I made a difference to the lives of people just by being myself.

So I didn't fit in. I worked hard not to, and it made me a far far better and happier person that I might otherwise have become.
(TalkbackStuck making obscene phonecalls since, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 14:29, 17 replies)

Yay!
I'd love to know who you are (though I'm not asking!)
Yours is the best posting by far and yours is an inspirational story. It'd be nice if kids who didn't dare to be different could read what you said and, who knows, maybe some will.
You're a hero (providing you're not Noel Edmonds or Jeremy Clarkson. If you're either of those two then I take it all back and you can fuck off!)
(fergus the bogeyman Beware of geeks bearing gifs!, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 14:39, closed)

ahaha!
Now I kind of hope it IS Noel Edmonds and he goes off to cry in a dark corner after reading your reply
(Roopy all is not what it seams, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 14:47, closed)

The coolest people I know
dont give a shit what other people think either and thats what makes them cool.
(Tibble off the crack since, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 14:47, closed)

You are Russell Brand
AICMFP
(MrC. Having the most boring username on b3ta since 2004, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 14:50, closed)

What?????
You'd better not be! (I didn't realise quite how many celebs there are to despise.)
But I like the nice ones. (Please be Stephen Fry.)
(Ivor Biggin, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 14:54, closed)

school
"I went to this rather safe, upper-middle class CofE High school in North Yorkshire"

St Aidans in Harrogate?
(Bernard Bernoulli, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 14:53, closed)

Well..
If I confirmed that, it would stop me possibly being Noel Edmonds or Russell Brand, and that would result in some very disappointed people above.
(TalkbackStuck making obscene phonecalls since, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 15:23, closed)

I would not be disappointed
to discover that you are not Russell Brand.
(MrC. Having the most boring username on b3ta since 2004, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 15:25, closed)

Am I the only one who thinks this guy sounds a bit* smug?
*read very, very, very
( vix0r was not Matthew on, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 15:21, closed)

Yes
I do. It sounds unbearably smug.

*furiously secretes bile*
(powervator and NONE SHALL PASS, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 15:23, closed)

You want to be careful
that stretchy bloke from the X-files has a hankering for bile.
( monkeybananaraffle, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 15:47, closed)

Hehe
It's ok. I drink everything I produce.

EDIT: and bile
(powervator and NONE SHALL PASS, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 15:50, closed)

Smug and preachy...
*twitches*

I wasn't going to say anything. But I really wanted to fit in with you.

EDIT: That wasn't a pathetic flirting attempt. Whoops.
( Cawl, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 15:27, closed)

smooth Kaol
Very smooth :)
(Halfy By light alone, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 16:51, closed)

I am racking my meagre brains...
and trying to think who this could be. Who is this smug? Then it hit me.

Michael Winner is a b3tan.

Fetch me the fire axe.
(powervator and NONE SHALL PASS, Mon 19 Jan 2009, 16:07, closed)

Quick
Get him a cup of coffee and a roll...

Then I'll sit there too and we can both check out the motorway traffic.
( DukeEuphoria Comes highly reccomended, Tue 20 Jan 2009, 11:58, closed)

Hang on, previous story about stalking someone...
Which also places your birthday in around 1973 in Yorkshire.

Are you Leigh Francis?
( Agnostic Antichrist Baltimora, Wed 21 Jan 2009, 14:20, closed)