My Funky World Anonymous

I’m a starting linebacker, but my mother is way tougher than I am. She runs the legislative, executive and judicial branches of discipline in our house, takes care of all of our taxes, and single-handedly manages my father’s law firm. She also prepares ambrosial Italian meals, and enjoys playing bridge and reading mystery novels.

My father is not so hard-core. He tends to spend his ample free time listening to classical music, reading about Ancient Greece and entertaining our small fluffy dog. But he does speak about five different languages and own a collection of books and CDs to rival our local library.

I admit that my mom and dad are different from most parents, and that they're very different from each other, but growing up in such an unusual environment has allowed me to see the coolness in that which is so often considered un-cool. It is the reason that, even though I love football and working out, I also love doing drama and playing piano. It’s also the reason that I have some friends who are athletic, but many others who are nerdy or "artsy-fartsy". Lastly, it’s the reason that I actually enjoy learning.

My funky world, above all else, has made me curious. I want to understand how my world works, to...