My reputation can be summed up in two words: freak magnet. This isn’t a self-proclaimed status. As reputations go, I’d rather be known as witty, pithy or even nerdy. But if you ask my friends and family, they’ll most certainly tell you: “Kim is a freak magnet.”

That opinion is so universal that they refer to my experiences as “Kim stories.” God love them! They are a collection of day-to-day occurrences that make up my life, such as:

• The gentleman, who upon meeting me and discovering I’m umarried but not single, decided to email me the lyrics of Beyonce’s “Put a Ring on It (Single Ladies).”
• My wonderfully quirky neighbors, including the nearly naked one.
• The random fellow, apparently a fan from my days as a news anchor, who two years later sent me a seven-day series of love emails, one with an image of lightsaber-wielding squirrels and the subject line: I hope this brings a smile to your face.

It’s unclear to me exactly how or why I became a freak magnet, but I do have a few theories:

Because I’m “Too Nice”
This one came from my friend Aaron. One night a guy, who I had earlier helped get service from the bartender, approached me and declared, “You should be in a Renaissance painting.” He was gay, so this wasn’t just a bad pickup line.

After he walked away, Aaron decided that interactions like that came down to the fact that I was just “too nice.” He said, “Kim, you talk to and help strange people who everyone else in the world tends to ignore. I think they are just so excited to get some attention that they come back for more…and weirdness ensues.”

Maybe he’s right, but I’m hardly going to be rude. I’m Southern for Pete’s sake.

Because I’m from Florida
If you come across a bizarre headline, more often than not the dateline will be from Florida: Mom Left Kids In Car To Go Hog Hunting, Mother-Daughter Porn Duo Aim To Be Filthy Rich.

I don’t know what it is about the Sunshine State, but it has become the butt of more than one late-night talk show host’s jokes. Chelsea Handler is the perfect example.

This theory may have some merit. Perhaps its just my proximity to a high concentration of nut cases? But that doesn’t account for the fact that some of my strangest experiences occurred while I was traveling or living in other places.

Because I Love a Good Story
I personally think it’s not that I’m a freak magnet, per se, but that I’m a story teller. I mean, we all have close encounters with the weird kind, right? But not everyone shares them.

I, on the other hand, love telling tales to capture people’s attention, so when strange things happen, I take note and pay attention to the details. I think my favorite pastime may have simply skewed my friends’ and family’s perception.

Whatever the reason, I wouldn’t change a thing. Being a freak magnet has kept life interesting!

“Some magnets attract
Some magnets repel
Some magnets say:
Hey, hey, what the hell”
Violent Femmes – Freak Magnet

What do you think? Do you think some people attract odd experiences more than others? And if so, are you one of them?

(This post was inspired by the Daily Prompt: Blogger of Repute. Do you have a reputation? What is it, and where did it come from? Is it accurate? What do you think about it?)