On Normalcy

This has been a touchy subject, and so I will try not to make generalizations. Rather, I will give you the specifics (of my view on it) and let you extrapolate from there.

Ah, to be normal...

I'd be lying if I said I want to be normal. No, I want to be different, unique... extraordinary! Of course I want to be special. Perhaps that's just part of the culture I'm immersed in, or perhaps it's a basic human drive or need, or perhaps it just is. I would rather win the Pulitzer prize or be known as the girl who ate the most tomatoes in a day than forever be just 'a girl.' The bottom is line is that I don't want to be average, or mediocre, or... normal.

But being different is not as easy as that, because there's another side to normalcy: acceptance. Society seems to accept the 'norm' much easier than those who are different. I don't know why... Maybe it's easier to be compassionate when you think the same way. Or maybe it's because the person who is most like you is most likely to support the same causes as you. Or maybe people were raised to revere this concept of normalcy and most have never looked beyond the 'do' to the 'why'. Whatever it is, those who color inside the lines are much easier and more generally accepted.

And yes, I want to be accepted, too. To that end, I try to make people feel comfortable with me and to be friendly. And yes, sometimes, that means not stating my opinion on something straight out, or dressing in a way that some people might not like. So, yes, I adapt the personality I project to suit the person with whom I'm interacting. But I don't think that compromises my individuality as long as I'm still myself with my crazy ideas of becoming an editor and learning to skydive and eating tomatoes all day long when I'm in private.

And it certainly doesn't mean that I don't accept those who are different. So while I might be "acting normal" most of the time, it doesn't mean that I am, or that I care if you are. And it certainly doesn't mean I would give up anything that's truly important to me in order to maintain the appearance of normalcy.