Appelflap is a Dutch apple fritter. It is also, as I was recently reminded, a topic of conversation at work from years ago, where I said the following:
"The appelflappen aren't my problem. My problem is the woman who looks like she murdered someone in a horror movie surrounded by appelflappen that look like bloody teeth."
For context, our development team was working in 2-week sprints, which we named based on a yearly theme. That year’s theme was international desserts, and sprint names were accompanied by a related photo. At the time of this quote, I was referring to that related photo. I regret not saving the photo. Or maybe it’s for the best.
Regardless, this quote is a reminder that I was part of a team where I felt comfortable saying weird things like this. The rest of the conversation was equally weird, and weird was not a bad thing.
In fact, weird is great. Full stop. Every single human is different, and that fact negates the idea of normal. Our differences emphasize our individuality, which makes teams stronger. Teams need different perspectives. Different ideas. Different lifestyles. These differences are where innovation starts.
It is an amazing feeling to be a part of a team where weird can be comfortable. I am convinced this is where we do our best work.
So, try some appelflappen. Maybe lose the bloody teeth. But embrace the weird.