Monday, November 12, 2007

Normalcy isn't Something I Necessarily Seek

I was at a friend's baby shower tonight, and so glad to see a bunch of my friends who I only see occasionally! It's a real encouragement. One I hadn't seen for about six months, and she and I are making plans to get together. That is all the sweeter, because she'd initially made friends with Katie, but now that Katie's gone to college, she's talking of lunches or whatever in my direction. Something gained...friendships are a part of sanity to be sure, especially in the faith...iron sharpening iron and all that.
Another friend, somewhat younger than I, turned to me and asked me some questions about what I'm experiencing with my health. I told her and she said, "Oh, good, then I'm normal." I was quick to tell her not to base her evaluations on me! Who said I was a barometer of normalcy? That's a scary thought! A good portion of the world who thought they had it all together would suddenly have to regroup and head out on an entirely different course!
No, I told her that normalcy isn't actually something I necessarily want people to expect of me. There's a lot more freedom in being thought of as a little bit crazy, a little bit of a screwball. You get to do more fun things, act more funny, say more offbeat comments, and people just pass it off as just you being nuts again. If you're usually trying to be normal and something weird comes out, you'll worry a lot of people, and someone will make an appointment for you somewhere that you don't want to go.
It isn't that I want to start wearing bright purple, or red floppy hats or anything; and there's a lot that's abnormal or insane or immoral that I just don't want to be associated with. But spontaneity and unpredictability, which many wouldn't consider "normal," is my idea of how to joyfully live life, a little more funny--er--fully.

1 comment:

The Resident Writer said...

I was SOOOO glad to turn 30, and to have all the pressure to be "normal", and trendy, hip and cool, taken off. It was like a huge freedom-I could just be my different little self and live my little life, and I was old enough that it was OK for me to be a little off center, a little abnormal.