Shifting to a New Normal

I am easily 47 years of adult living if you accept that I became an adult when the government said I could vote, go to war, get married without permission, or any other odd ways of thinking about it.

That’s over a generation of years!

My life has shifted multiple times. Single. Married. Childless — kids — empty nester. From city to rural to country. From Texas to Alaska to Texas to Alaska, and now Washington! No degree, and now degreed and teaching college. From no IT experience and now retired from 33 years of employment involving life with computers.

If you pause and think it through,
life has always had a shifting approach
to what we classify as normal.

Besides, who gets to define what’s normal? Huh? I’m vacationing in a city that likes to think of itself as “weird” (their words) and to them that’s their normal.

Think It Through

I said it the other day, Ken Davis (Comedian) has a line that has stuck with me for a long time.

I’m not ok.
You’re not ok.
That’s ok.

I’m tired of other’s foisting on me a load of who I need to be, and what I need to care about, and how I should think like the new normal of this day and age. Somewhere we lost the idea of unique personalities, and quirky ways of living that’s okay because we know everyone is different.

The thought police want to mold everyone into the same gelled look. Accept it all, and realize nothing is normal any longer.

Well. It makes my neck muscles roil, and my back stiffens up in defiance, my fists clench, and I’m ready to head for the hills and escape the madness of this world.

Only, that’s an almost impossible solution! Why? This current normality will destroy us all unless sane minded individuals stand up to the rat race, put our foot down, and simply say, “No Way!” I’m not your normal and you had better accept it!

Technology

I yearn for the day of a car that has no computers. No electronic brain that controls the experience. Maybe, just maybe, I’m yearning for the day of pen and paper, slide rule and protractor, and a number 2 pencil with a rubber eraser. Only, that may be too modern! Have you ever watched what it takes to make paper? Mine some carbon? Kill a forest of trees?

We’ve grown used to the new normal of technology on our wrists, in our pockets, replacing organs, and showing up in every device possible. I’m not sure we would ever be satisfied with backtracking to sticks and stones.

I read and research online, play games and read the news, process data and prepare my messages… All due to Technology!

I write my blog today with on older Microsoft Surface Pro (5 years old), a detached keyboard and mouse that uses Bluetooth to connect, and connected to WIFI and who knows how many electronic stations these letters fly through just to make it to the nebulous Internet.

On the other side of it, you pick up your mobile or stationary device and see the email that notifies you I’ve written or the post on social platforms that link you to my website.

Voila! Technology!

Here’s My Thought For This Morning

Don’t let the times create a new normal for you that opposes the old paths that were established by founders and thinkers generations ago. There’s gold in ‘dem ‘dar hills! Thinking still requires the gray matter resting between your ears. Doing still requires your senses and appendages marching, handling and doing.

A new normal takes in the pieces of the world that fits and allows you to utilize your inherent skills more effectively, but nothing replaces you being the best you that you know how!

That soapbox of old? Well, it was a box turned over in the square for people to step up on and speak their piece. Defending themselves, selling something, or even politicking.

Maybe we need to keep enough of those old ways of doing things in our new normal of life so that we can maintain our humanity.