"Normal"

My older brother and I used to write letters to each other when he left for college. One of his  letters in particular stuck with me. It was about where he lived and how different it was from Las Vegas in that people could be themselves without being judged or made fun of. Mind you, this was years ago before people believed that making fun of others just because they weren’t mainstream was cool.

I have a hard time with this. A harder time with the taking pictures of people we don’t think fit our description of normal and posting them on social media. I think it’s mean. That’s someone’s brother, father, son, sister, mother, daughter. Why can’t we look past the outside and just keep on moving? Who’s to say  you’re “normal”? Or someone behind you isn’t taking a picture of you or laughing at you because you don’t fit their definition of “normal”? How would you feel? I doubt you’d find it hilarious. Our kids are watching and they’re mirroring our actions. That in itself is enough for me to reflect on my own issues. And not on someone else’s issues or lack thereof. Because honestly, if they have the courage to do what they’re doing, wearing, etc. We should really go hug them and ask them how they got to that place. We want to be so lucky to have that level of self-confidence.