The Abnormality of Normality!

"The huge golden space ship hung in the air in almost exactly the way a brick doesn't."

(Douglas Adams - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy)

This is me.  To me I am normal, to others I am not.  I wonder how many people there are in the world who have wondered about their own normality?  Is it a question we all ask ourselves, even multiple times during our lifetime or is it a question we ask only after being confronted by another?  Do we observe others then introspectively observe ourselves and make the comparison? 

So, if I were to explore the question 'What is normal' ... could it be accurately answered and by whom?

Is it normal to conform to every whim that society flings our way or is it normal for us to stand alone, resisting any urge to conform.  Is conformity really the defining factor that declares that we are normal?

One of my favourite books is by Douglas Adams, 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'.  I was reading it whilst working as an extra on the set of 'Babe' at Jamberoo on a very cold, very frosty day.  So totally absorbed in the page's intricate 3D images unfolding in my mind of Arthur Dent and Ford Prefect hurling through space assisted by the babel fish implant and launching into all kinds of predicaments that I was totally oblivious to the very large, very black camera perched directly in front of me.  It seems they were having a marvellous time filming my face as it contorted into unbecoming forms as I fell victim to fits of laughter. 

Who knows how long it was there, hanging in mid air much the way the spaceship had been in my book.  As I raised my head to wipe away the flood of tears that had pooled in my eyes when I became aware of this dark invasive object suspended before me.  I was powerless to supress the gut wrenching scream of horror that escaped my lungs.  Although I have no idea what happened in the rushes that night one thing is certain; there would have been more than a few chuckles at my expense!

So, is it normal to become so absorbed in a book that one drifts into total oblivion to the rest of the world around them?  I cannot answer this question other than to say that it is normal for me.

"We have normality.  I repeat, we have normality.  Anything you still can't cope with is therefore your own problem." (Douglas Adams)

Over the years I have observed others and realised that my brain functions slightly off skew with the rest of society.  My children have inherited this oddity which makes for interesting dinner topics.  An added blessing is that over time I have made some very dear friends who also suffer the same affliction.  We seem to process thoughts through careful analysis and dissection, enabling us to formulate ideas and theories and tackle some interesting subjects on an intensely deep level.  The down side is it takes some time to come to a conclusion quickly, which kind of defeats the purpose of a quick decision.  The up side is that there is never a problem writing a 3,500 word report or present a long, structured discourse on a topic.  So, in my little group, I am normal and I am sure, many people will identify with this.

I will leave this post with this quote from Emerson:- "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment."

I wish I could give credit for the brilliant photograph of the beautiful ballerinas/acrobats. If anyone knows who owns this please let me know so I can give due credit.