Lynn once told me that I was the most normal guy she had ever met. I don't know why she said that, nor do I know if that's quite a compliment. (And to be honest, her saying that I'm normal is like Chris Benoit telling me that I'd be a good father). But whether it is a compliment or isn't, I'm not so sure I agree.
Perhaps I am "normal" in the traditional sense. I have never had to battle a drug or alcohol problem, and I never found myself associated with a "dangerous" crowd. I stayed in school and learned responsibility through real life situations.... I learned to budget my time and money and I was able to follow a straight path to the present. That's my deal...(old school call back). Oh and I masterbate constantly lol.
But to me avoiding drugs, prison time, and an unplanned "bun in the over" doesn't seem to be too hard of a task. Looking through my year book I'm sure I can find a few people that have fallen prey to at least 1, if not all 3 (cough Ariel cough) of the fore mentioned life deterrents..which is hard to explain considering they were the product of the same education and social system that i went through...but inevitably they choose to go down that road. One might assume that this could be a product of how they were raised. I personally believe some of that to be true.. and some, not so much. I have been blessed to be part of a strong nuclear family which remains intact. I think my momma raised me right, but I also think it's possible to over come shitty life situations. You just gotta power through it. I believe that when I become a daddy I'm going to handle my family differently than the way my father does... in the end people can define their own legacy. The choice is yours, and its the choice of a new generation...
Perhaps my life journey wasn't as adventurous as the "abnormal", but I think I followed my own code of ethics... and doing the right thing isn't always the easiest....so props to me. But i still don't view myself as normal. I don't think "normal" people do constant self analysis'. I also don't think it's normal to be as anti-social and judgmental as I am. And I definitely KNOW its not normal for a mid 20 year old to be writing blogs and being unresponsive to phone calls. These are character flaws and everyone has them- but they aren't "normal". I'm not even going to delve into my own personal inner demons which may be more abnormal than people could ever imagine. Basically, I've got more screws loose than that bridge in Minnesota.
But what is normal anyway? Normal and average are sometimes synonymous... and who the fuck strives to be average?...oh no not I. Others may define normal- as without dysfunction. But i think everyone deals with dysfunction in one way or another...even if its not caused by their own doing. So i guess being normal would be the act of positively battling that dysfunction..or giving the illusion to others that they are not dysfunctional. ehhh- kinda weak. I don't think of normal as a magic track..plus if you have ever seen David Copperfield, David Blain or Chris Angel- they look anything but normal.
I think most people just regard normal as plain or simple. Being normal to most people is living a non complex life. Living a "normal" life doesn't get rewarded though. I think in most respects I am "on the level" but in today's world that isn't good enough. If i continue to work hard at my 9-5 and save my money it won't matter b/c I'll never get ahead. Lotto winners and celebrities aside, it seems like all the rich people have either inherited money or have gotten it through shady biz. SO normal- isn't achieving greatness.
To me, normal is just a starting point, a ground zero... and in the end if you live your life as pure as when you were born into it, I guess that's a good thing...
