Has anyone heard of Suzy Totonto? If not, you need to go to her website (http://www.suzytoronto.com/) and check her out. Years ago, when I was in Hays, Kansas, I bought one of her small posters and have it framed here on my desk "She Who Believes in Herself". You can read the words on the blog. [I also bought the most brilliant dancer fabric in the same town!!) Then Susan Joy, the potter and my friend of 60 years, sent me one "They Who Are Best Friends". That is on the wall in my office. After awhile, they become part of the scenery and blended in well. Fast forward to early Summer 2010. I was invited to Ocean City, MD for the closing event for Sussex Parents as Teachers (DE). I was there for fun. To thank me, my good friend Annee bought me a mug (she had discovered it at Cracker Barrel can you believe) to say thanks for coming. Believe it or not...it was a Suzy Toronto "Sacred Sisterhood of Wonderful Wacky Women" mug!! My work with Zero to Three was coming to an end and I was seeking my identity. Oh my...HERE IT IS! The long curly hair, the long skirts and the barefoot women dancing freely! Then to the 65th Birthday party with that theme - and of course my drums! Suzy came through again with a jigsaw puzzle and a mouse pad "Pretending to be a NORMAL PERSON day-after-day is exhausting" No that is NOT in the least bit strange because I had been having conversations with my friend Karen about her realizations that she is NOT normal. Then I began to think of my own spirit and energy and the friends whose sparks are much like mine - and WOW - the realization that NONE of us is NORMAL?!? In fact, what is normal?? Yesterday I reacquainted with my friend Evy (known her since 1982) and her friend Maggie - now my friend too - and she lives in Pitman. As soon as I approached them at the table at Terra Nova, I realized that they too were in this select group of 'non-normal' individuals and YEAH for that?!?!/
I looked through my photos and decided to start thinking about normal...or not...and the people in my life- how would I classify them? I have only just begun. Stay tuned. TELL ME, DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF NORMAL? See I struggled most of my life to be like 'them' and was always unhappy because I just couldn't be happy there. I was too loud, too exuberant and not professional. It was never my problem?!?!? Now I know why and I can say, with a sigh of relief...PHEW!!! It is so freeing - a release of trying too hard...and a great place to be!! No more pretending to be a Normal person!!
1 comment:
Hmmmmm......so thought provoking, your piece: Cause you see, I never even thought about the word "normal," and just considered myself who I am, a creative soul always growing, spiritually, artistically. Betty Edwards says "there are really only 2 kinds of people: Those that are artists and those that wantta be artists!" JOYFUL is life, in the arts, as art encompasses all of life....BEYOND normal, I would say.----------
Comment from Susan Joy...the potter
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