I've published two posts now with Is It Normal? themes. The inspiration for these themes originated in an assignment for my homeopathic studies. For that exercise, we students were tasked with coming up with completions to the phrase "is it normal" for the rest of us to determine whether or not the conditions were pathological - did the conditions need treatment, or could they be healthily tolerated?
In the comment sections on my previous posts, most readers seemed to interpret "normal" as meaning "conventional." The question then becomes, which of our conventional behaviors are, in fact, pathological? Would the world be healthier if we could cure humans of these conditions?
Which of the conditions below do you consider to be pathological - in need treatment - or healthy?
is it normal
to feel alone
in a room full of people?
is it normal
to think dandelions
are ugly?
is it normal
to have full faith
without expectations?
is it normal
to think your government
is your friend?
is it normal
to be enchanted
by a sales pitch?
is it normal
to sign contracts
for life?
is it normal
to be dazzled
by politicians?
is it normal
to have a face that cries out
for a fist in it?
Two of these came to me while I was in my garden. One is a translation of a German word. The remaining five are, in my opinion, truly pathological, and would be found in a homeopathic repertory under the rubric DELUSIONAL.
Prizes await those who can correctly identify which of my little poems fit those bills. In other words, do you think like me?
image is by @wales, Dean Moriarty