Kialua

I saw Guessing What Normal Is on the list and thought oh I have that covered. I remember when it was a big problem for me, as a young adult soon after leaving home. But I think it's still with me in many subtle ways.

Yesterday I was out shopping alone. When the sales lady came up to me and asked what I was looking for, could she help, etc, I answered that I was looking for something for a funeral tomorrow. (a dear friend died) She said, OH, and just smiled and walked away. I though wow that was weird, maybe she was having a bad day. But at the next store I did it again as a test to see if maybe I shouldn't be saying that. Sure enough she did the same thing, smiled and walked away, left me alone the whole time, helping the lady next to me in the dressing room finding her things, etc. Whew. I concluded that maybe normal people don't say that because others can't handle it. But it makes no sense to me...

dollydo

Nor to me. Does not compute, are you supposed to go in the nude?

Define normal? I can't.

Try and forget it, you cannot fix stupid.

Sorry about your friend.

Freedom1990

"Normal is the cycle on a washing machine." ~Naomi Judd

I quit trying to figure out normal.

I learned in my Death & Dying class that death is still such a taboo and uncomfortable subject for most people. I suspect that was the case with both women.

LostnotyetFound

Sorry to hear about your friend. Hope you are doing all right.

"normal" What is? Nothing to me is normal.

Nothing you did was abnormal or wrong to me. Think most people don't know how to respond in that situation. Though I think what would have been right was still help you and be sympathetic about it. Maybe I would be the abnormal one who knows.

dollydo is right you can't fix stupid

Kialua

Thanks for the insight. I guess whenever things don't turn out how I think they should I resort to thinking it's because I don't know what normal is.

Freedom1990

My old sponsor told me a long time ago that we live in a dysfunctional world. I find that to be true.

Common courtesy is no longer common.

I am so sorry for the loss of your dear friend and even sorrier that neither lady acknowledged your pain.

I find that a lot of the people I encounter are downright rude and/or selfish.

I don't take it personally, as it's their issue, not mine.

Sending you hugs of support!

GingerM

I gave up on "normal" when I realized that if you look at it from a statitstical view, the "norm" in our society really isn't healthy. Watch the road rage, soccer hooligans, people just plain being rude for no apparent reason. In my (highly unscientific) sample of humans in my general vicinity, the "norm" is to be unhealthy.

Perhaps aiming for "healthy" instead of "normal" would be a more reasonable goal. I would say that the two women who didn't help you were "normal" in the sense that they fall into the fat part of the bell curve - but I wouldn't want to be like them.

Peter

A store clerk walking away from a customer who needs assistance is not "normal" behaviour.

Failing in your responsibilities is dysfunctional but then we live in a dysfunctional society....