Homeschoolers were never given the chance to be average-normal. Some are, don't get me wrong, but there's less of 'em at the top of the bell curve than sloshing in the shallow ends.

I'm gay, which had nothing to do with homeschooling, but I think being "out" and not screwing up my life was only made possible by being in a minority for my entire high school "career". Add to that a sunny personality, and three years of making a fool out of myself on stage after stage in our cheesy high school vocal ensemble (think Amps + Fake Smoke + Lighting + canned Amy Grant songs), and you've got one person who rarely cares what society thinks. And doesn't listen to "no, you can't possibly do that".

And then I think of my homeschooled friends. One family in particular. One is a film director. One is an actor, a working one. Another brother is a model and a rock musician. Their homeschooled friend and the brother of one of my good homeschooled friends is also a rock musician. That sister of his is a concert-level pianist, among other things.

Another homeschooled friend is a painter. Her sister, probably the best marketing student in her graduating class.

While a lot of people thought we were slacking off, or wearing over-starched suits and ties, copying Bible passages from one paper to another, we were painting, writing, acting, publishing, developing software, running for congress, feeding the poor, volunteering in other countries, making music, and graduating at the top of our classes.

All this after being labeled losers and socially maladjusted.

I used to think that our parents unwittingly trained us to rebel against society, what with all of the red hair, tattoos, hanging around in bars, and watching non-church-approved movies we seemed to get involved in.

But I'm starting to see that we're becoming exactly who our parents helped us become: nice kids, with heads on their shoulders, who are going to be running your country in a few years.

Good job, mom and dad! We'll do you proud. =)

PS -- Yeah, some homeschoolers still stink, especially the ones who beat us in basketball back in high school.