The Orgins of Oddballs by Yulissa

The Orgins of Oddballs by Yulissa - October 2018 Scholarship Essay

Flying cars, lasers, and spaceships. It sounds like I’m going to talk about a sci-fi book or movie, but I promise, I’m not. When we think of these things or ideas, we immediately know they are fiction or fantasy. Though, aren’t these just ideas that are outside the box? Ideas that are not yet fully developed?
So what does thinking outside the box mean for me? It means being original. Making people be in awe or second-guess your idea because it seems unrealistic or too different to even comprehend. We all laugh jokingly when someone mentions that we’ll have flying cars in the next few decades. Yet decades ago having a car was that same joke. Imagine people saying “A piece of metal is going to get me places faster? No thanks, I’ll stick with my horse and wagon.” Obviously people didn’t say those words exactly, but that’s what they thought.
Many of the most useful inventions we have today came from people whose ideas were outside the box. They seemed too risky, far-away, or impossible. We as a society have gotten used to thinking the same. Where answers are needed and only what we see in front of us is the truth. It has been like that for millennials, but how have we developed into the world we have today? From people thinking of the future and creating something that seemed too out of reach at the time for us.
Now thinking outside the box doesn’t have to be a world-wide changing invention, but a simple action or idea. A plot that's never been written. A new fundraiser for school, a different art piece, unique fancy makeup. Creative fresh ideas make a large difference. These are the ideas that start trends, examples, and futures.
So what does outside the box mean? It means to do your own thing your own way. It means to quit following other people's methods, thoughts, or ideas. We need to make up our own and just go with it because who knows what can happen if we all think originally. Maybe the first flying car will come a lot sooner than we think.