Being Normal

I was having some thoughts today. Try not to be afraid.

I was thinking about being normal. If you think about it, 99% of people out there must be. I mean, that's what the definition of normal is, right? That most people conform to whatever standard it is, therefore, that standard is "normal."

But what about when we don't? What about that one thing (or several things) that put us in a minority. I'm not talking about quirks or social ability here, but something about you or some group you belong to that makes you understand what it feels like to disagree with most of the rest of the world at one time or another.

For example, I'm Mormon. This puts me at odds with a lot of people because of the way my religion is perceived, and they're not always wrong. My church stands squarely on the unpopular side of several intensely controversial issues, and I agree with that stance. Not because I'm uneducated or because I blindly follow what I'm told to do (as seems to be the popular opinion in more "liberated," "educated," and "less judgmental" circles), but because I, personally, have spent many hours pondering, and in some cases, agonizing, over what is right and have come to my own conclusions.

I'll stop this line of thought before I start ranting about double standards when it comes to judging and how all deeply religious people are not uneducated zealots. I'll save that for its own post.

The point is, this is what makes me different. I'll never belong all the way to mainstream American culture, and I like it that way. The other part of my point is that I believe everyone has something (or a few things) like this that set them apart. Ultimately, if it's important enough, it plays a huge part in defining you. It brings you close to some people and makes your drift from others you could have been close to. Be it something you choose, like religion, or something you did not, we've all got something.

But aside from that, I'm normal. I enjoy popular movies and books, I love The Office, refuse to audition for American Idol, and get on Facebook way more than is healthy. Sometimes (prepare yourself) I am exceptionally shallow, just like everybody else that I get irritated with for being exceptionally shallow at some point or another. I am a part of that mainstream culture.

So I am normal, and happy to be. Except for when I'm not normal. But I'm happy about that, too.