The value of being a dork.

Last night I was thinking about the quest for the extraordinary, and in the early morning hours I had a ridiculous dream that involved marrying Johnny Depp, him speaking Arabic and sex. And I woke up feeling like a total dork (and yet smiling). It was a silly dream and cute and it reminded me that, in a quest for an extraordinary life, it is important to never be afraid to express the inner dork.

No one likes someone who takes themselves too seriously, thinks too highly of themselves, or is afraid to make an ass out of themselves. We might find some of those people impressive, intimidating or even extraordinary in some way, a distancing inhuman way - but without the ability to look like a complete dork there is something missing. Fun. Being a dork is so much more fearless, more balls to the wall, than being composed, confident and cool.

As I think about how I want my son to grow up, how I hope he views me, I hope he is often and alternating-ly embarrassed and proud of me. I hope some day he loves that I do the work that I do and brags about his mom to his friends. And I hope he cringes at the things I am willing to say or do - that he begs me not to dance in public or sing in the car when his friends are around or any other demonstrations of what an awesome dork I can be. In fact, I can't wait to model being a dork for him.

So lacking from my prior reflections on what it means to be extraordinary was the importance of ridiculousness. Ridiculous behavior, a huge imagination that allows for the most insane, funny and dorky of fantasies (hello Arabic speaking husband Johnny Depp) and a propensity to let the world see you as silly.