My family isn’t normal. Probably no surprise since I write about being a “hot mess”. Some of that probably rubs off, right? Or maybe they contributed to my hot mess status. The latest news is that my daughter got a Morticia tattoo. She is in Divinity school and I’m sure that will be a plus for her getting a job in ministry:) It has been said that “she will be able to minister to people that look like her.” Hope the Adams family is in the market for a minister – and Pippi Longstocking because she has died her hair orange. In all seriousness, I am very proud of her. She obviously doesn’t seem to care what others think of her – and she is very smart and I’m sure that she will make a difference in the world. She calls girls that look more normal “basic”. A little more basic would be okay with me but whatever.
My oldest daughter is definitely “hot mess junior”. She has always been a little different. She is obsessed with names and family blogs. She has also been known to be a bit of a “stalker” on social media. I think she is just interested and likes to know stuff about people but it’s a little creepy. She has had a hard time as of late so I will mention her only minimally here. But my younger daughter said when she was leaving for college that she would “crash and burn” and she kind of did, although thankfully pulling it together now.
More about my family background. It started when I was young with my father. My father is highly intelligent and is a Radiological Physicist (retired now). But he has the sense of humor of a middle school boy. When I was a teenager, he put a bag over his head like the unknown comic – only those of a certain age will understand that – and came out on the beach where I was sunbathing, trying to impress the lifeguard. Just one example of the many things he has done over my life to embarrass me. He called it sensitivity training. My mother has a very dark sense of humor. She is the only 80-year-old in the world I bet that enjoys Trailer Park Boys and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. She is also very interested in WW2 history and probably shows up on the FBI’s watch list. She will occasionally say that people are “dead to her” and “come on comet” when something goes wrong.
My brother has made me promise to never write about him but suffice it to say that he is a character. I can maybe get away with sharing one from when he was little. He would tell people to “smell his foot” and stick his foot up in the air at strangers. Today, his cats have Facebook pages and are pretty active posters. I will leave my husband and step-daughters out of it but there are definitely some stories there too.
All this to say, what is normal? Who determines what normal is? If you look up normal in any English dictionary, the definition is “usual, regular, common, typical.” Normal people are content with routines, patterns, and societal norms. Typically, they are not very deep or creative. Normal people are judgmental of anything that deviates from their rules of normality. How did this become something to aspire to? How did everyone being the same achieve the cultural force it has? And is anyone really normal, or do they just pretend to be? I think we all have a little bit – or a lot – of crazy.
Abnormal is defined as the opposite of that which is typical or expected; unusual, or exceptional. I don’t know about you, but that actually sounds a lot better than normal to me! Certainly more interesting and entertaining.
John the Baptist certainly wasn’t normal. He is described as wearing clothes of camel’s hair, living on locusts and wild honey. But John was clearly special. He later baptized Jesus. And what about Noah? People probably thought he was nuts for building an ark and I’m sure he got ridiculed a time or two. He certainly showed them!
Saul was an impressive dude by the world’s standards. He was a well-educated Pharisee from a God-fearing family. I’m sure others thought he had lost his mind when he did an about-face and started following Jesus. He turned out to be one of the most influential Christian leaders in history.
So being normal isn’t all that is cracked up to be. Whew, what a relief… Let’s end with a few Bible verses.
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
Romans 12:2
My son, do not walk in the way with them; hold back your foot from their paths.
Proverbs 1:15
