Are You Normal? What is Normal

I had a rough time when I lost both my mother and father several years ago.  It took months for me to regain my composure.  When things began to level out, someone said to me that I was acting more normal again.  I did not know I was acting abnormal.

 It made me think about what is normal and what is abnormal.  I asked the question, who wrote the book on normal?  Who sets the standard?  Who has the ability to judge who is normal and who is not?

When I lived in Miami, I saw a person sitting on a chair under a tree.  For hours, this person sat there and cried.  I asked, “What is with this guy under the tree?”  The reply I got was, “Oh, that is Ed.  That’s normal for him.”  It would not be normal for anyone else.

Not too long ago, I was asked what time I go to bed.  I said it was normal for me to hit the bunk around mid-night.  That is not normal for everybody.

I know of a man who runs 10 miles every morning before he goes to work.  It is normal for him to run the last mile facing backwards.  Yea, that is not normal for 99% of the rest of us.

In these three examples, I have tried to relate that what is normal for you is most likely not normal for me.  When you see someone who looks different then you, acts different then you or does things different then you, step back and say, that’s normal!