Meandering on "normal"...

I've been thinking about just what the word "normal" really means and if there is any part of this label that might possibly include me. Per Webster's International Dictionary, the definition is...typical...usual...standard..sane. Hmmm.

Typical? What, exactly, does that mean? Well, back to Webster...he says it means... characteristic of a group or type. Huh? So, if I'm a card carrying White Supremacist, I'm typical, ie. normal and sane? WTF???

Usual? Back to Websters we must go. He says... customary or common. Well, as a Southern gal, I know I'm not common because my mama told me so, and we just never were allowed to associate with common folk. Probably, Webster is from the North and doesn't understand these things.

Customary= usual or according to custom. No real progress with this one, right?

Sane...ah, here we go again. On my facebook profile, I claim to be relatively sane, and damn proud of it. Does that make me relatively normal? Checking out Mr. Webster, one more time, and he says... sane means having a sound mind. Hmmm. Again, per Mr. W... sound, as an adjective, means...healthy, free from flaw, decay, etc., correct or logical.

I'm getting a little worried here. I think I'm relatively healthy, mentally speaking, but free from flaw or decay may be a few too many steps outside my relatively speaking realm. And, let's be honest here...correct is a relative term...we each have our own ideas about what's correct and what's not, right? But, regarding the logical....even in my most sane state, logic is simply not, typically, a huge part of the equation.

Which takes me right back to where I started. Raise your hand if you never felt quite "normal".

If you're following this blog, I'm pretty sure you're raising your hand about now. But, after reading all the words that Webster used to describe "normal"...I'm feeling thankful to be somewhat outside the norm. Did you ever think if you just were a wee bit more "normal", life would be easier and just not so... untypical? Growing up, did you feel like you were on the outside looking in? And, conversely, did you ever feel like you were on the inside looking out?

If your answer is yes and yes, how do you feel about that?

Maybe we are normal... characteristic within our own group. Are we a group of normal abnormalities? Or, are we just deluding ourselves by thinking we're somehow different from the lot...somehow, we're special? You know, I'm not even looking for answers...the truth is...we all have our own questions and must find a way to figure out our own answers. So...I'm just going to leave it to you to work all this out in whatever way is best for you. As for me...I'm going to have another glass of wine and watch a movie.

Happy meanderings.