Normal Is Overrated

Riya was attending a friend’s wedding for the first time. She had got this chance because of the summer vacation of her 5 year old daughter, Kiara. Coincidentally, the wedding was at her native place. So, she got a break and was looking forward to meet some of her old friends.

Riya was chasing Kiara, when she collided with Vanya; one of her best friends during college days. Riya exclaimed in surprise, while Vanya jumped with joy and hugged her bestie tightly.

“What a pleasant surprise Riya, where have you been all these years? Haven’t heard about you since ages. Tried to contact you many times, but in vain. How are you? How is life?” enquired Vanya.

Riya was still in a state of amazement. Vanya shook her hard and said,” Hello, are you there?”

Riya finally answered,” Yes dear, I’m there. It’s great to meet you again. I’m so happy to see you.”

“But, where had you vanished all this time? What have you been doing? No contacts. Nothing. Is everything okay?” retorted Vanya.

Riya took a deep breath and answered, “Absolutely, everything is normal. Post engineering, I got married. Then, blessed with a kid after a year and a half. Now, a mother of 2 angels in 5 years. I’m leading a perfect normal life, looking after my family.”

Vanya replied back, “That’s nice to hear about your family. But, what about you? What about your career? What about your ambitions? As far as I remember, you were not a normal being. You were different. You were unique. Difficult for some to understand. A secret for some to decipher. You always wanted something different from life, unlike the general mob that just follows the rules and regulations laid down by the society and die one day".

Riya blurted out, “But, that is normal Vanya. Everyone does that. That is what we are supposed to do.”

Vanya cut her short and continued, “No Riya that is what is inculcated in our brains. Don’t be one in a herd. Don’t follow the herd mentality, where everyone is following the every other, without using their own brains. Just wait for a moment and realize what you have been doing with your life being normal. Normalcy is addiction. It’s like an addiction of those dreadful drugs, which will lead you nowhere. It has such a tight grip that will not let you depart from it easily".

Riya interrupted, "No matter how high we think about our life, we have to do the same at the end. Isn't it?" "But at the end, what are you going to achieve? What is the result of being normal? What are the consequences of blindly following the people? Are you going to be rewarded for being normal or are you going to be at the top of the ladder of success? If you want to know the truth, open your eyes and ears. Listen, observe and accept the facts. One day, everyone is going to depart from this world. The only thing which will remain forever is what you did for this world, what have you achieved. In short, what have you done so differently so that people will keep you in their heart and mind forever. And you can do this by being different; not normal, by being a little weird; not normal. Normal will lose its charm in the group. But, the different will shine brightly and make its presence worthy. It’s been rightly said that,” People may hate you for being different and not living by society’s standards, but deep down, they wish they had the courage to do the same”. So, stop pondering and feel privileged in being abnormal", Vanya explained.

Riya kept gazing at Vanya. Vanya continued,” Yes, you heard me right. Hug the weirdness in you and embrace the wildness."

Meanwhile, Kiara came running to Riya. She queried, "Mamma, what will I become when I grow up?"

Riya looked at Vanya, gave a nod with a smile, then turned towards Kiara and replied, "Whatever you want to my baby. Chase your dreams and never lose yourself in the run. Be different, be you."

After returning from her native, Riya joined a mountaineering club. She had always dreamt of an adventurous life. Now, she goes on trekking with her kids and inspires other beautiful souls to follow their heart, to be different. Because Normal is Overrated and Different is the Perfect Estimation.