Odd Duck by Barry Hughes

This spillway leads the creek under the bridge that borders our neighborhood park. After a big rain it is a lovely waterfall. On ordinary days, it is a concrete beach for the little lake formed by the creek. When I pass it on a walk, I’m always curious to see what creatures I might find atop the spillway.

On this day I asked myself the question, “Which of these is not like the others?” There were ducks everywhere this morning, all along the waters edge. It was striking that all the ducks looked alike - same color, same sizes - except for two. Those two looked as if they showed up at the party and didn’t know the dress code. Those two seemed oblivious to the fact they didn’t quite fit into the crowd. These two were literally the odd ducks.

Sometimes we can feel like the odd duck, can’t we? When I was a boy, I knew that feeling. Growing up, I was a late bloomer. I was small and skinny. I was not particularly athletic. I had interesting tastes and not a few eccentric behaviors. My parents were wonderful; my momma found me funny and my daddy loved his “goofy” middle child. I was lucky.

I can remember having my parents make appointments for me with the preacher when I was a boy. I wanted to talk to him because he was kind and I knew he cared about me. If anyone could help me feel not so the odd duck, it would be the preacher. After all, he and God were tight. Perhaps he could put in a good word for me!

Instead, my preacher told me that I was not alone. Everyone felt that way at times. Best of all, he told me that God made us all unique and different. I shouldn’t try to be somebody else. I should be the one and only me.

All these decades later, I have come to realize that feeling the odd duck is not something we outgrow somewhere along the way. But all these decades later I also know that my preacher was right. We are all uniquely odd ducks, and that is indeed a marvelous thing. We are, together, a celebration of God’s love of diversity. When we are living into what it means to be the “one and only me”, and when we are doing so with love, compassion and kindness, we are fulfilling our unique purpose in creation. And that is always good; good for us and good for others.

Peace.