Normal

Trying to maintain the appearance of normal can be our own worse enemy. It’s like trying to keep the facade nice and shiny, when inside (spiritually, psychological), things are deteriorating, falling apart. There’s that saying: keeping up with the Joneses, even though that might not be where we’re supposed to be. Isn’t everyone in a different spot, in a different stage of life socially, financially, and experientially?

Normal is the average, the middle part of the bell curve. But life isn’t static. We move up and down the curve depending on the changes that occur throughout the months and years. We might suddenly decide to change jobs, move, go back to school, work longer hours, or have unexpected emergency bills.

When the weekend comes, we think we have a reprieve from the work week, from all the effort we put into having things appear as normal. Instead, we catch up on all of the things that didn’t get done during the week, or catching up with family and friends when we attend dinner or social events. See. Everything is normal.

Next week, the bustling starts all over. Week after week, month after month. Does it ever end? Does it only end in retirement?

Maybe it never ends. When we’re retired, we’ll be beset by new challenges, new dilemmas. Health issues, financial ups and downs–whatever. Perhaps the problem was trying to maintain the appearance of normal all along.

Maybe each day isn’t supposed to be normal. Maybe life is about the unexpected curve balls, fast balls, and slow balls that come our way, and swinging (or not swinging) accordingly. Each day isn’t a static routine and experience like the law of gravity. We treat it like is though. Maybe that’s the problem.