An entry which has nothing to do with skating...LOL!

I have a feeling that if Grandma came over and took a good look at many of the books i own, she'd be horrified at what she would perceive as sacrilege. How dare i read books by Pema Chodron or Krishnamurti or Deng Ming-Dao while the holy Bible sits gathering dust or whatever. She didn't protest too much that my parents joined an Episcopal church when i was born (she's a devout Catholic, prays the rosary and whatnot), but would probably have a heart attack to find out i'm not even really a Christian anymore. It's old news, but, there's no sense in dragging her into that.

Dad was curious enough about  the qi-gong and Taoism books, said only that it sounded "interesting." (His word for, i have no idea what she's talking about but it sounds harmless enough). He kind of shrugs at the stuff about alternative or holistic health; Mom was into that stuff, too, so he probably chalks it up to being "just like your mother." Others, though, he's raised his eyebrows at. Vegan: The New Ethics of Eating. Beyond Civilization. Food Revolution. Living Cuisine. Become What You Are. Sometimes i wonder if he worries that his arguably-strange-but-generally-compliant-to-most-social-norms daughter is going to turn into some radical hippie and go live on a commune somewhere. He has nothing to fear about that. For now i'm content to remain arguably-strange-but-generally-compliant. To some social norms, anyway.

I've always had a touch of weirdness, ever since preschool, and have never really "fit in" anywhere, because i've always been a little bit different, a little bit strange. Not that i'm the perennial social outcast, either, but i've never exactly fit the mold of any "group." Still, I agree with the line in the film Practical Magic that "normal is not a virtue."

It's normal to drive a gas-guzzling SUV. It's normal to wear expensive brand-name clothing. It's normal to lounge in front of a TV set for hours on end instead of curling up with a good book or going out for a jog. It's normal to be "religious' at church or temple but have little or no spiritual application in your everyday life -- or just not to have an spiritual life at all. It's normal for a gal my age to not leave the house without makeup on. it's normal for gals and guys alike in my age range to go out drinking for the sole purpose of getting 'wasted.' It's normal to lead a sedentary lifestyle, ergo it's normal to be at least a few pounds overweight. The standard American diet (appropriately abbreviated SAD!) is another normalcy. it's normal to drink Starbucks, wolf down Krispy Kremes, and consume vast amounts of animal flesh and other products of slaugherhouses and factory farms.

Not everything that is "normal" is evil, or even necessarily bad. A normal lifestyle certainly suits many people. And not all basically "normal' people necessarily do everything the 'normal' way.

Still, all things considered, i'm content to remain a relative weirdo.