People talk about returning to “normal” after the pandemic. The idea of a “new normal” is touted. These conversations have intrigued me to wonder what is meant by normal and whether or not normal is a useful idea.
This discussion may be moot as I am not sure what normal ever was nor if the good old days were better than now. Normal is a perception that may not exist. Normal may now mean that NOTHING is normal. As Davie Hollis noted, “In the rush to return to normal, use this time to consider what parts of normal are worth rushing back to.” This reflection may be the challenge to our individual and collective futures.
COVID-19 has changed our lives drastically. People write about the disruption as well as the new opportunities. I think about what normal means if equated with the usual, average, or typical condition. Was that state so great? It is important relative to conditions of stability and consistency, and yet, change has been occurring so dramatically for years that I wonder if there is a usual order that we can or even want to count on. Normality may be a comfortable path but may not be interesting.
I have never felt like I was normal. I don’t mind being a bit quirky and am attracted to people who have similar dispositions. I feel that being atypical is not dreadful, but just who I am. I like it. People who want to be normal may lack imagination or courage.
Normal can be conflated with routine and I rejoice in the lack of routine that makes up my life. I like days that are predictable, but I also like days when I do not know what might happen and am open to adventure when it calls. Normal days are best when filled with gifts and opportunities. Something that is wonderfully surprising on a normal day is welcomed.
I do not know what the future holds. I do not expect that normal will exist again if it ever did. I don’t want to return to normal. I hope that abnormal with its connotations of anomalous and aberrant behavior does not become my normal. Yet, I resist defining an ordinary life for myself. I subscribe to what Val Kilmer observed, “There is no normal life. There’s just life. You live it.”
I was wondering if you ever considered changing the page layout of your website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or 2 images. Maybe you could space it out better?