So, I am going down the street and I see kids playing. Only one is standing aside, just watching. The other kids won’t tell him to join in, but from the look on the kid’s face, you could notice he wants to play with the other kids but is too shy to approach them.
And so, I think, wow, this is not right. It’s not normal. And then it comes to me – what’s not normal? The kids not wanting a new member in their small group or the kid that’s too shy to approach? The first one of course, nonetheless, a new dilemma arises.
What is normal, really?
All these people are doing things they hate or pretend to listen to, let’s say, hip hop, just because all their friends think hip hop is cool. They love listening to jazz but never go to a gig because guess what – their friends think jazz is music for the old.
Or they pretend to like drinking or a particular TV show just because it’s popular. They pretend that the clothes they wear are their choice, not the choice of fashion trends. They dress a particular way to impress others, instead of being who they really are.
Also, I hate when people say, He comes from a bad family. Oh, please. We tend to make mistakes; we are humans, not some robots with superpowers. Of course, we are going to have a disagreement at a certain point in life or make a bad choice, but if we truly try to improve and be a better version of ourselves, does it matter what our background or even our status is?
There are all these people pretending not to enjoy the things they do because supposedly “it’s not normal.” Well, maybe pretending is not normal, how about that?
You want to sleep until noon because you still haven’t figured out your life or you still burn every single lunch you make because you still haven’t gotten a firm grasp of cooking?
Or do you feel like dating, but not getting into a serious relationship because it takes too much effort? Or do you feel like trying what it would be like in an open relationship?
If being exclusive with someone is not what you need right now, well, that’s fine too. There is time for us to learn all the things through time instead of stressing out about what people think. I hate that. I hate people’s looks or those mocking, inexpressive frowns when they see a new hairstyle or someone wearing fluorescent boots or whatever.
Do you know the one with the green hair? Do you know the one dating a person as older as his mother? Ugh, labels suck.
Why should we feel limited or trapped in the constraints of the old-fashioned understandings of the word normal?
What is normal?
Is it a flying bird? Is it a yellow painting on the wall or a dictionary definition of 6 letters put into one? Probably not.
It’s more like freedom of expression or a manifesto of arbitrary authenticity, at least that’s how I see it.
I guess it’s a period of highs and lows, a period of static routines and busy schedules, a period of sudden changes and intense emotions.
It’s also a period of doing what you want to do, focusing on what you feel like, and being your own true self.
I am not here to tell you what’s normal. I am not here to define it. I am here to inspire you and to give you the courage to break from the limits and live your life because it’s yours.
Don’t be afraid of showing your true, playful, spontaneous, cheeky self. The frames of society are stifling your creativity and stealing your potential, so don’t shape yourself according to somebody else’s needs.
We have so much to offer – the way we are. With our messy lifestyles and untidy rooms. With our insecurities, our binge-watching, our habits, and our toweled- dry hairs because using the hairdryer is just too much work.
We have so much to offer with our eccentric personalities and our less expensive smartphones or nails we forget to polish regularly.
So, who’s to say what is normal or not? Everyone has a different idea of the word normal, and what’s normal for others may be downright crazy for others.
Don’t bother changing that idea – just do what makes you happy or comfortable.
Because real is rare, and rare is…precious.
