The Second Dumbest Person

I’ve described myself as the “second dumbest person in any room” and as “unintelligent” in a couple of my stories, and when I got off the stage multiple people flagged me down to make sure to say, “you are intelligent.” I could tell that it pained their hearts to think that I think of myself as not smart.

I’ll admit that I would probably do the same because I don’t like when people feel down on themselves, but in the context I’m referring to in the stories it is absolutely true that I’m usually the second dumbest person in any room. And that’s OK. I’m honestly not the smartest person, but I am actually really caring and thoughtful. I can also read how people are feeling, and connect with just about anyone. I’m 5% brain and 99% heart (kidding of course - I’m actually a math genius so I know that adds to 103%  #DoubleDadJoke). I wear my heart on my sleeve—literally and figuratively.

It’s in my nature to connect with everyone I encounter on a personal level. It's why I geek out when I hear someone on the train speaking Indonesian (my wife is Indonesian and I know I can connect with them just through me knowing some of their language). It’s why I know the names and interests of eleven random kids in my neighborhood who I’ve gotten to know. It’s the reason I (at 34 years old) am stopping in the middle of the street to catch up with two high schooler I know as if we’ve been friends for years (I played basketball with them once or twice and now we stop to talk every time we see each other). It’s the reason I’m introducing my wife to a guy on the street who I met when I invited his nephew to join me and my sons on the tennis court.

One of my friends visiting from out of town—and taking part in the parade of greetings and farewells it takes me just to get out of my building—summed it up best when she said, “excuse me Mr. Rogers,” referring of course to the late host of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. In any other situation being compared to a sweater wearing, elderly white man, that talks to animals, might have been an insult, but I of course understood she was referring to my propensity to interact with anyone and everyone.

Describing a portion of this to one of the people that was trying to dissuade me from calling myself unintelligent after I got off the stage, they doubled down—telling me it takes intelligence to communicate and connect with people. Of course I agree with this wholeheartedly, and at this, I just accepted the praise they had been trying to give me. However, in the context I was referring to in the story, I still hold the belief that I am usually the second dumbest person in any room. And I'm ok with that considering I'm probably also the second most personable person in any room too.