“Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.” ― Bernard M. Baruch

As far back as I can remember, people have always seen me as a square peg in a round hole - I have NEVER been considered “normal”. I was always too loud, I spoke my mind, I wasn’t interested in the things that others were, I broke EVERY rule, I dressed weirdly (to “them” anyway) - I have just NEVER conformed, never listened, never stepped inside that box

– I simply refused (and I still do)! I have ALWAYS done things my way and this has put me in the face of resistance and scrutiny again and again and again.

I cannot help but beg the question - what is “normal”? Is it how others define us? Is it how we define ourselves?

In my younger years I was juuuuuust a liiiiitle little bit of a “wild child” (understatement much) and with that character trait, I was just never accepted by the “run of the mill” individuals – which resulted in my eventual solace in those found in night clubs and dark corners. It was throughout these years that I realised just how detrimental the effects of negative social conditioning and lack of emotional support are on people (including myself).

Before I go ANY further with this post, I want to make a point – and please LISTEN TO ME! THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH ANY OF US! We are ALL AMAZING individuals!!!!

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” ― Ralph Waldo Emerson

Right! - It sure was good to get that off my chest ;) – Moving along lol…

As many of you already know - I listen to A LOT of music - and I listen to it GENUINELY… I absorb it and take it in completely! (Which I wrote about in “The Seduction of the Senses” - https://steemit.com/life/@jaynie/the-seduction-of-the-senses)

Some time back, I stumbled across a song which hit me from the inside out!! Yes, it is a “pop” song but give it the time of day if you will… – and on that note, people are far too quick to write off pop music as being “shallow” or meaningless, simply because of the genre it falls in to (yet another inaccurate judgement)

This song spoke to every single part of my being! - There is just SO much pressure these days to "conform" - to be "this" or "that" - to achieve beyond our years, to climb insurmountable mountains and it just makes me sick to my stomach! When did we all forget to just live... and LOVE one another?!!!!! There is SUCH a strong message in this music video - I can only hope that I am not alone in seeing it!

It is SHOCKINGLY accurate in depicting the copious amounts of stress, anxiety, self-loathing and depression that so many of us live with in today's society.

In short, It is tragic that children and adults are living in a society which has replaced a simple basic need (LOVE) with medications and “materialistic things”. A place where love and emotional support are needed, verbal judgement and diagnosis, accompanied by little tablets of all shapes and sizes are prescribed instead – those will solve the problem, right?! WRONG!

pfffft! LOVE– who needs that stuff anyway?!

Is it any surprise then that a good portion of people in the world are walking around thinking and feeling like something is wrong with them… Is it any wonder that people lose their Sh*t and go loco?

NOT surprising at all!

We NEED LOVE! It is a staple ingredient of life. In fact it IS LIFE! Life without love is a guaranteed train wreck!

Somehow so many still don't realise this - and they continue to make two VERY large mistakes. They replace love with “stuff” and then they continue to “judge” the people that they denied the love… and gave the stuff.

Honestly - People can be so GODDAMN BLIND!

Every single one if us play beautiful, intricate, intrinsic parts of a whole! We all have a role to play. The fact that you don’t understand or agree with another’s purpose and/or path, does not make it *(or them) “unacceptable” – nor does it make them “not normal”.

If we were to look at any REAL “problem” in that sentence, to my mind it would be that there is often no effort made to do exactly that –trying to understand or accept it – who knows… you might actually learn something if you did…

So many of us are starved of love, emotional support and any real kind of embrace. We are shoved aside and handed objects to replace the fundamentals, we are repeatedly fed negativity about what and who we are, we are diagnosed with all sorts of ailments and conditions and then after all that, we must still stick a plastic smile on our faces and be what society has deemed normal?

Hmmmm, ok… sure! – No problem… NO! SCREW ALL THAT! - I will say it again! - THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ANY OF US – WE ARE ALL PERFECTLY IMPERFECT!!!!

“We're all mad here.” ― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

A little while ago my son asked to watch the movie “Captain Underpants” and I couldn’t help but giggle because it brought to surface a memory of when he was about 4 and attending play school. He had taken to wearing his underpants on his head at the time as this transformed him into a super hero. Hehe (how cute is that!! Lol) On one particular morning he decided that he wanted to wear the “underpants hat” to school… well, I felt it only fair to explain to him that the other children might think it a little funny but that if he wanted to do so… he absolutely could. He did!

Well, I guess my son isn’t normal then? No, – but he is BEAUTIFULLY unique - just like the rest of us! And I hope he NEVER changes!

Let it be understood, that just because we are all different, does not make any one of us wrong or abnormal! We need to start seeing the beauty in those around us instead of the opposite. We need to start understanding that home life is not quite what it used to be, families are not always what they used to be, childhood is not what it used to be and so the list goes on…

In meeting people in our day to day activities, we just don’t know how much our kindness, acceptance or gestures of affection might impact that individual positively.

Just do it! - Look beyond the definition of “normal”, see the soul and then feed it with what it will ALWAYS need most – LOVE!

Until next time...

Much Love from Cape Town, South Africa xxx

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