Episode 21: "Real Friends Accept Your Quirks"

"Hey there, my fur-tastic friends! 🐾 Welcome back to The Monkey the Cat Podcast! I’m Monkey, your favorite talking cat, and today we’re talking about something that makes friendships EXTRA special.

Our lesson today? Real friends accept your quirks.

You know what I mean by ‘quirks,’ right? Those little things that make us unique—like how Brooklyn snores louder than a lawnmower, how Teddy always has to check the entire yard before we play, or how Olivff refuses to drink water unless it’s from a moving faucet. (Yeah, she’s fancy like that. 😹)

The truth is, we ALL have quirks. And sometimes, we wonder… What if people think I’m weird? What if they don’t like my little habits?

Well, let me tell you a story about the time I almost changed who I was—just to fit in."

If you enjoyed today’s episode, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on your favorite podcast platform!

Transcript

Tyler: 0:12

"Hey there, my fur-tastic friends!🐾Welcome back to The Monkey the Cat Podcast! I’m Monkey, your favorite talking cat, and today we’re talking about something that makes friendships EXTRA special. Our lesson today? Real friends accept your quirks. You know what I mean by‘quirks,’ right? Those little things that make us unique—like how Brooklyn snores louder than a lawnmower, how Teddy always has to check the entire yard before we play, or how Olivff refuses to drink water unless it’s from a moving faucet.(Yeah, she’s fancy like that.) The truth is, we ALL have quirks. And sometimes, we wonder… What if people think I’m weird? What if they don’t like my little habits? Well, let me tell you a story about the time I almost changed who I was—just to fit in.""It all started one afternoon when I was playing outside with Brooklyn, Teddy, and our new neighbor—Max the parrot. Now, Max was really cool. He could mimic voices, tell jokes, and even whistle entire songs! Brooklyn was fascinated, Teddy was impressed, and even Olivff peeked out from her usual hiding spot to listen. But me? I started feeling… weird. See, I LOVE to talk.(Obviously, I have a whole podcast!) But suddenly, standing next to Max, I felt like my voice wasn’t as exciting. I didn’t know cool tricks like him. So, I tried to act different.🔹Instead of chatting, I stayed quiet.🔹Instead of making my usual silly jokes, I just nodded.🔹Instead of running around playing my favorite games, I just sat and listened. And guess what? Nobody noticed… because I wasn’t acting like me. Teddy tilted his head.‘Monkey, are you feeling okay?’ Brooklyn nudged me.‘Yeah! You’re acting kinda… I don’t know, not like Monkey.’ I sighed.‘Well, Max is so funny and talented. I figured maybe I should just listen instead of talking too much.’ Max flapped his wings.‘Wait, wait, wait—you stopped talking because of me?’ I shrugged.‘Well… yeah.’ Max laughed—but not in a mean way.‘Monkey, I’m a parrot. Talking is kinda my thing. But that doesn’t mean you have to change who you are! Everyone loves you because you’re YOU!’ Brooklyn wagged her tail.‘Yeah! We like you because you’re funny and always have the best stories!’ Teddy nodded.‘And because you always make sure everyone feels included.’ Olivff added,‘And because… well… you just make things fun.’ I blinked.‘Wait. So you guys… actually like my quirks?’ Brooklyn bounced.‘Of course! That’s what makes you Monkey!’ And just like that, I realized something HUGE—real friends don’t want you to change. They love you for exactly who you are.""So, what did I learn that day?🔹You don’t have to change to fit in—your true friends love you just the way you are.🔹Quirks make us special! Imagine how boring life would be if we were all the same.🔹A real friend will never make you feel like you have to be someone you’re not. Think about it!✅Do you have a friend who has a funny laugh? That’s part of what makes them special!✅Do YOU do something unique, like always wearing mismatched socks or only eating the crusts of your sandwiches? That’s your quirk—and it’s awesome! So here’s my challenge for YOU today: Celebrate what makes you and your friends unique!✅Tell a friend what you love about their quirks.✅Embrace your own weird habits and OWN them!✅And most importantly—never change who you are to fit in. Real friends accept you, quirks and all.""Thanks for tuning in to The Monkey the Cat Podcast! Remember—you are awesome just the way you are. Your quirks make you special, and your true friends wouldn’t have it any other way! Until next time, my pawsome pals—be yourself, love your quirks, and accept others for who they are too! Bye for now!"