Chaos Attraction

You Can't Fake Normal

2010-12-07, 7:52 p.m.

You know what's awesome about Holidailies? That in this new world where everybody is all, "Follow me on Twitter!" instead of ACTUALLY WRITING ANYTHING OF SUBSTANCE, Holidailies proves that there are still people who can write multiple paragraphs on their personal websites. They still exist! Huzzah! Because the longer the Twitter-and-Facebook trend continue, the more I start to doubt this.


So I found this Cary Tennis letter. It annoyed me at first, with its pretentious tone. "Oh, I'm an artiste, but I've decided to take a little job for spending money down at ye olde mall. I feel like an anthropologist studying how "normal" people act. How do I fit in?" I was kind of gagging at the tone of it all. Really, what a snob.
However, upon reading Cary's answer, it suddenly made more... sense?... to me. It's my eternal problem: how does a weirdo fit in with the norms for 8 hours a day? Admittedly, this annoying woman seems to be doing it for shits n' giggles rather than oh, to survive in the world (and frankly, I'd have more sympathy if that was the case instead of her making sure we know that she doesn't "need" to work. Is this woman lying?), but yeah, I have this issue too.

Anyway, Cary's response was VERY interesting: Possibly the best line in it is, "You can't fake normal." TRUE DAT. Unless I keep my mouth shut and dress boring and hide in the corner at the relatives' house, but even then, who knows.

Back to Cary:
"Because you don't belong, you're going to work hard to appear to belong. Because you are skilled at appearing to belong, and because you are analytical and thoughtful, and because you know you are an outsider, you may appear to belong more than those who actually do belong.
This is the drama of the outsider.
Your difference makes a difference. But the difference to them is not as great as the difference to you.
You think they notice but they don't. You think they know because to you it's so friggin' obvious. But they have not been issued a clue. They were not issued a clue and are not aware that a clue is available free on the Internet or at any public library."

Then again, maybe that's why I somewhat kind of pass for normal. Maybe they're just not paying attention? I don't know, but it's an interesting thought.

Boy, are the comments on this one going to be nast-ay, though... Okay, they always are at Salon, but this should be spectacularly awful.


In other news, it was another dull day, where the most interesting things I did were write e-mails and ponder what to knit next. Another pair of legwarmers? A skirt? A cool pattern I saw for a sweater with removable arms? Start designing my own freestyle garment from my handspun yarn? I probably won't have much in the way of holiday knitting to do for people unless someone submits a last-minute request, so I guess I can do what I want... which is weird in December.

I'm kind of bizarrely ahead on presents since about 8 people are getting soap whether they like it or not. I suspect I can only get away with the soaping for the relatives for so long, but considering how (a) those people won't want anything I can give, (b) they want fat gift certificates to H&M, and (c) I cannot afford that many gift certificates to H&M, well..... I guess they are just going to have to deal. *shrug* Presents are a requirement more than a "I have something I really want to give you" thing anyway with the relatives.

As for friends, I have either acquired the gift or mailed it off for most people. I'm not seeing my driving instructor again till January, so there's no rush there to hurry anything up. Mostly I just have to worry about my mom and her Kindle-wanting (argh), and the inevitable scare that is my SF friend's wish list whenever she sends that off. (I swear 90% of it was over $300. Seriously, I've asked her how loaded she is and she says she isn't, but I know she doesn't have much in the way of required expenses because she lives with her grandparents and uh... the spending seems to be different in the city.) It's so weird. I could like, actually wrap presents really early or something. If I get really proactive after the gym, who knows?


previous entry - next entry
archives - current entry
hosted by DiaryLand.com