Two Worlds

You are able to straddle two contrasting worlds in a way that reminds me of Dexter Holland in 1994. You know Dexter, the lead singer of The Offspring whose shine has faded over the years as his band gained popularity but who in 1994 was an iconic blend of two worlds not often blended: punk style and intelligence. You see punk style—be it a skater, snowboarder, or musician—with its nonchalant coolness and assume the person can’t also be smart, because, well, the person often isn’t smart. You see intelligence, and while the person may also be stellar at traditional sports and perhaps piano, you think that for God to keep things reasonably fair, that nerd can’t also possess what the skaters behind the school possess.

But God isn’t fair. And so Dexter Holland can somehow pull off dreadlocks, front a raw punk band that released the best-selling independent record ever… and be the valedictorian of his high school, earn the nickname “Dexter” because of his mathematical prowess, and go on to earn a PhD in molecular biology. While your bio is not as well-known to me, a single snowboard run alongside you is enough to prove your skate-style, and a single conversation is enough to prove you may already have a PhD (but are too cool to mention it).

So here are two things I’m quite confident you (or Dexter for that matter) will enjoy.