mollyhousemouse

my niece is part of a big dance troupe in Colorado. there are 25 girls, and 3 boys. i wish more boys were encouraged to not be normal thanks for joining the conversation

thanks Caz! i had the bullies in high school, secondary school in the UK. i spent time stuffed in trash cans, and lockers for getting higher grades than everyone, and thereby blowing the grading curve thanks for commenting Caz!

i guess JayT that normal, to paraphrase Forrest Gump, "Normal is as Normal does." appreciate you joining in!

parts of my life have been far from "normal" as well thanks Moggy! hello Dodger, yes we are stuck with normal, well because jobs and all thanks for your comments

thanks for commenting SIr certainly, those things from Your previous career were decidedly ABnormal to the majority i am seeing that NORMAL is in the eye of the beholder, as it were thanks for joining the conversation Sir

thanks, tim it's a word and a concept that aren't my favorite i appreciate you joining the conversation routines can lend an air of normalcy to our lives appreciate the conversation A! it is a herding word, jp! thanks for adding that to the mix. i love it!

After a few rocky weeks, our lives are returning to normal. Well, normal for us. Two working adults, with one car, mornings starting at 4:45 AM. Two kids in high school, one with a job, the other with after school commitments until 9 PM. Weekends are full of their events, family time, household chores and on and on ad nauseum. People are often shocked at that. Well, yes, it seems a lot. But it’s normal for us. Normal, now there’s a word I’m not to sure about. What is “NORMAL?” We hear about “the new normal.” Kindergarten kids have lock down and active shooter drills. “Oh, well, that’s the new normal.” More and more people are utilizing food banks, and low income housing. “That’s the new normal in this economy.” But, they aren’t normal. They’re outside the norm, aren’t they? So, is normal a fluid concept? What was normal to our great grandparents during the Great Depression wasn’t normal to our parents in the 1960’s. And it sure as hell heck isn’t normal to this mom in the 21st century! And, the definition of normal is boring, and I mean like BOOORING!! Merriam-Webster says: conforming to a type, standard, or regular pattern according with, constituting, or not deviating from a norm, rule, or principle But who wants to conform to a norm, or a type? Why? Who wants this? Aren’t we all individuals? Why do I have to conform to some outdated definition of a word that changes its meaning. Okay, okay, I know there are societal norms that we all need to follow, you know, like wearing pants when you go out in public, and not talking with food in your mouth. But really? Who wants to be normal? I live near Austin. Their motto is “Keep Austin Weird.” There’s a statue going up of a homeless man known as Leslie, who roller skated all over town in a bikini, and ran for mayor 3 times.(He actually came in second once! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leslie_Cochran) I raised my kids constantly telling them that normal is overrated. And who wants lock down drills and not being able to buy your own home “normal?” Normal sounds like an insult, “Why can’t you like chocolate like a normal person?” “Why don’t you wear a dress like a normal girl?” “Normal boys don’t take dance class.” Normal sounds so blah. Normal sounds like average, like beige, the four door sedans of the automotive world. I don’t want to be average, or blend in. Now, I can understand the concept of NORMAL, as it relates to me and my family. But it’s really an illusion, isn’t it? Because MY normal isn’t YOUR normal and it’s not HIS normal. So why should this word be applied willy nilly to all things? Is there anything that is really NORMAL anymore? Was anything ever NORMAL? And is that good, or not? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

again, i'm late to the party but WOW! what a nice take on the topic! well done (speaking as a girl, i think you did fine writing as one )

you're a cruel heartless man @Carlos Hazday thanks though @MrM i know where I'll send this next......

dark can still be beautiful A

poetry paints pictures in my head, the words paint the picture in "Webs," i see a spiders web, with drops of dew glistening in the sun, with a dainty spider picking her way (think Charlotte's Web) through the drops to create another piece of art "In Spring" i see a little boy peeking over the kitchen counter and snitching the asparagus off the plate! lol! i really like them both tim!

deep thoughts for a Sunday afternoon Sir. some words that i find beautiful: sunshine warmth thunderstorm (it's just a good word) superfluous (i love the way is sings) more may come to mind later i've loved seeing/hearing everyone's choices

good point jp!

i told tim the same basic thing! what a smart, quick thinking lad!

i have a soft spot for dragons ❤ i think Berdem and his books will be a favorite another nice fairytale tim

this is so much in this little story... the uncaring, unfeeling bureaucrat at the PHCSD desk, the way the guards have him by the biceps, not just but the arms, the "fixing" of children just tore at my heart it could have been very bleak, but Darrian brings with him hope i could go on and on well done, again, tim i don't think there's a genre you couldn't handle!

i'm not a fiction writer, i'm a blogger but there's really no difference in that we're all writers i put my heart into what i post, and i get the same queasy butterflies that fiction writers get just before you hit publish making sure that everyone who takes time to comment gets a thank you is also a way to grow your audience. and in my case, maybe a new blog topic. if the reader feels you value his or her opinion, they are more likely to come back and see your new offering. many of you have mentioned the tangential conversations that happen from the string of comments. where else does this happen? it's a wonderful thing!

one of the authors here has written a story that takes place in and around where i live. he's not from here. he's got it almost all right, to the point where i routinely "see" the main characters. when it's done right, there's a bit of a thrill in it. shoddy research makes it a non starter. as for fictional places, as long as the geography is consistent first chapter to last, it can be just as enjoyable.

oh Def! well done indeed! we don't really have a choice in who we are attracted to, a choice in who we love your story is another example of that very glad you did the story

Parker, that so so very well done! my heart breaks for all of the adults, for Jaime, for Stanley and for Maura but there is hope, faint, but there, for Jared and Mark i wonder how that confession will go, will he go through with it, what will Father Jaime say thank you Parker

this is a delicate topic to tackle in a short story. but BHopper2 gave it a shot and succeeded! he reminds us in it's telling that we need to love, with no regrets.

well A, you did it! you took what could have been a really awkward, possibly tawdry piece, and made it a tragic love story. that the brothers truly love each other is obvious, sometimes love comes from unexpected places thank you for asking me to read it early

tim is indeed a remarkable person, but Michael Sir, so are You that You recognized this in him and celebrate it i'm quite sure that others would not and there are many that care for You and him we are all so lucky to have You and him in our lives

beautiful words sparked by a not so beautiful event what a marvelous champion you are Sir for tim and for for all partners who deal with these issues

wonderfully done @MacGreg Sir and @Freerider what a great way to tackle an important topic i think it also proved that this form works well. can't wait to see what's next