What is normal other than what you make it?

     Have you ever been called abnormal? Or not normal? Or strange? Or insane? Well, guess what! Most of Americans do not consider themselves: “Normal.” A 2017 study revealed that over 52 percent (i.e. the majority) of individuals refused to categorize themselves as “normal people.” In fact, 8 percent of those surveyed considered themselves eccentric and weird!

     We must redefine the idea of “normal,” as it seems to resonate with the few rather than most. If you think about it, being normal is actually the disorder in a world where mental and emotional problems are higher than ever before. This is the case at hand: we are surrounded by strange things, and even stranger people, and we need to begin to accept ourselves as wacko. Otherwise, what else is there for us to do on this planet?

Number Of Crazies

     I am quoting Google:

     Every year, about 42.5 million American adults (or 18.2 percent of the total adult population in the United States) suffers from some mental illness, enduring conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, statistics revealed.

     And does Google ever lie?

     Recognizing that being normal is more of a disorder than craziness will allow us to enjoy the darker sides of ourselves. If you have a darkness deep inside of you, let it entertain you! Let it entertain others! We all have a sense of silliness and, more importantly, a need for silliness. Did you know that the average person only laughs 20 times in a given day? That is less than twice an hour that you are awake!

     We all seem to have this convoluted notion that hysteria is not an entertaining medium for both yourself and those around you. We simply have to differentiate between the literal form of “crazy” (i.e. Charles Manson) and “crazy” as in “out of their minds” with happiness and good intent. I often find shelter in that mentality, as it shows me what kind of person I am: I am someone who enjoys to laugh 300 times a day – even if half of those laughs are based on my own thoughts or opinions!

The Racist Funeral

     Now, we obviously do not want to be crazy-crazy. In other words, we want to be just sane enough to do it right. This means enjoying oneself, having a good time, and choosing to laugh when others decide to cry. I know, it sounds a bit strange, but think about it: happiness is often more productive than despair, and I’ll tell you a story that may change your mind.

     My grandfather was a terrible racist. He was also my father, and my best friend. When he passed and we had the funeral proceeding, we poured white dirt on the tomb and took a slow and arduous walk back to the cars we arrived in. I looked back and noticed the three men who were shoveling dirt over the tomb were of Mexican, African, and Cuban nature. What is the irony that my racist grandfather would be buried by those he hated the most?! And everyone enjoyed this paradox – so much so that his passing was a little bit easier to deal with…all it took was some insanity.

 Are You Insane?

     If you answered “no,” you are losing out on a lot of fun. Being crazy is the best choice I have ever made, and we can do just that: make it a choice! You can be born crazy, but the truly happy are those who chose to be crazy. In the end, happiness stems from our choices and we are here to make them: choose insanity! And do not take it as literal insanity, but rather a means to have fun with your day.

    If I haven’t converted you to the dark side based on the above, contact me.