So What is Normal Anyways?

 

Are you normal?  Do you want to be?  What does that even mean?  And why is it important?

I kind of look at “normal” as a bad word.  One that means ordinary.  The same as the majority.  Boring.

I don’t want to be normal.  And that is probably a good thing, because I’m pretty sure a lot of people don’t consider me that.  Honestly, probably not even my own mother.

I’m quirky.  Opinionated.  Stubborn.  And that’s just using the socially acceptable terms.  Truth be known….I’m also a loner.  I’m introverted.  I get very involved in things going on in my own mind and don’t notice the real world.  I like animals more than people.  I have a hard time being sociable and I don’t really care, because I kind of like just spending time with me.   I like that at work my office space is WAY in the back by myself, and would not be surprised if my coworkers thought that was good too.

Give me a glass of wine or two and I’ll spill every thought in my head, which, yeah, is not so sociably acceptable either, but oh, well.  Not sure if that is why they have wine, but we’ll get to that point later…

My kid, he’s a little weird.  He’ll tell you that.  And he’ll tell you he probably got it from me.  He’s most likely correct.  He’s also one of the most confident middle school aged children I’ve met.  Maybe because he’s not expecting to be normal.

I’m very disturbed by a recent occurrence in our area where a 12-year old committed suicide for being bullied.  Even more disturbed by comments on news stories that blame him or the mother because apparently being kicked in the head and genitals is just ordinary experiences every middle school kid should expect.  Because he was little.  The same little size as my middle schooler, well, actually, about an inch taller and 5 pounds heavier.  Which, yeah, may not be “normal”, but is not wrong.  Not even out of the ordinary. 

My child, he tells me the “nicknames” he gets called at school because of his size.  Fortunately for him, God has blessed him with extraordinary athletic abilities.  He is the first kid picked, every time, for whatever sport, to be on a team.  It’s his defense, his means of respect.  Not all kids have that.  And they shouldn’t have to.  And I also would not be surprised if there was more that the child who took his life was being bullied about....kids that haven't reached puberty yet, and don't like girls, key words being DON'T LIKE GIRLS,  yet at this time get some more harrassment, just trust me on that.

Me, I’ve learned over the years to just like myself despite what others may think.  I think I’ve actually instilled a bit of that in my child, and even a couple of his friends.  But when you’re 12 and being physically assaulted and even adults , including the school administrators and school board and most especially the parents of all the kids that are bullies, all just bury their heads in the sand on purpose because they don’t want to deal with it, I can’t imagine the hurt, the real pain, they must feel.

That may be why they have wine, but I’m not sure that can even make me feel better about this kind of thing.  There is a reason I like animals better than people.