I recently
came across a post on beBee.com where the writer spoke of growing
up in a world where he was not considered normal. As someone who has never
wanted to be just like everyone else, I can honestly say that I understood what
it is like to be different, but I have never felt like my idiosyncrasies made
me abnormal.
My son, who
lives with a mild form of autism put together a short documentary where he
questions the value and definition of normal. He feels perfectly normal, and
why shouldn’t he, really? Normal is really a term that is used by ableists to describe
anything that doesn’t fit their perception of what is right and good. It takes
all kinds of people to make the world go around, so why would anyone not be
considered right or good at their core?
It is my personal
belief that each of us is on this earth to teach someone something. Whether or
not you can speak, or even move has no bearing on your ability to do that. The
fact is, that every interaction we have, whether we are aware of it or not, is
an opportunity to teach someone something. I would venture to say that most of
us do it all the time and don’t even know it. It is our individual differences
that provide these teachable moments and have the power to bring us together
with more understanding. I like to think that it is our differences rather than
our sameness that creates the strongest social glue.
The collective
consciousness of the world has always been very negative because people tend to
see differences as a threat. Clearly, the world has much to learn about the
value of being different. Those who are willing to bear the pain of being different
are blessed with having the opportunity to innovate, educate and change the
world. They are the leaders, the visionaries, the philosophers and the greatest
influencers.
It’s time to
embrace what makes you different and love that quality in yourself. Normal is
only a word and when we say someone is not normal we shouldn’t think of it as a
bad thing. We tend to think of abnormalities as being reflective of an
ineptitude, but it doesn’t have to mean that at all. Our personal abnormalities
whether they be physical or mental force us to navigate the world in
unconventional ways and in doing so we learn and teach more. In essence, we
fulfill our purpose.
