Is that normal?

“What makes us normal is knowing that we’re not normal.” ~Haruki Murakami, novelist

When we were kids, we assumed “normal” was everything our parents did. Their normal was what their families, culture, or religion dictated. If we looked at our neighbors and saw they weren’t following the same program, we probably labeled them as odd or eccentric or … abnormal. We were oblivious to the likelihood that the neighbors thought we were weird, too.

The longer I live, the more I question what’s “normal” and what isn’t. And here’s the thing: When you venture out of your usual comfort zones — and meet a variety of other people — you realize that nobody thinks or lives exactly the way you do. ~CL