Normal isn't a big enough word
to hold all the meaning we give it.
Normal may mean what is expected
according to our prior experience
or what might be called ordinary.
It also signifies a sense of trust
in the sameness of what will happen
according to what has happened before.
I put it to you though:
"normal" doesn't indicate
the quality of a thing.
"Normal" merely suggest that
we have come to expect it.
We've adjusted to the sameness
and that gives us comfort,
even confidence.
At times when what seemed normal changes
we steady our course by calling it
"The New Normal."
That's how language often belies
our ability to see clearly, making us feel
Oh so much more comfortable
with what is.
We are such comfort-seeking creatures,
often to our own disservice.
How might it be to see more clearly
in the midst of our discomfort?
Normal (?)
Filed under Prose and Poetry
An insightful reflection, as always, Carol. Thank you! I’m giving much thought to the line about our “sense of trust in the sameness of what will happen according to what has happened before” and how that “sameness … gives us comfort.” I’ve often thought about how the “sameness” of things from day to day tricks us into mistaking continuity for permanence, in contradiction to the core Buddhist teaching of the impermanence of all things. Now, thanks to your insight, I’m recognizing that it also tricks us into a false sense of comfort in “the normal”. And, whether we like it or not, I suspect that the current events in Washington will soon be challenging us all “to see more clearly in the midst of our discomfort.”
Thanks Tom! I always appreciate your comments. They inevitably provide seeds for more understanding.
Great poem, my friend. Love the ending question. another reading for yoga class! thank you!