Back to... uh... normal

I don't get why "normal" is a word. What is "normal," really?

After feeling lost since Grampa was in the hospital, then in the process of mourning his passing, I've been trying to get back to normal and I realized that I really don't know what that would be. So I've just returned to my "normal" work schedule, which is different each week, and have dived back into life. My.... "normal" life.

Which has thus far consisted of:

Having my coworker ask someone to put their digital camera away yesterday when he caught the man taking pictures. I believe people aren't really allowed to take pictures here without getting permission ahead of time, so that's why he did so. Then when I went on my hour break, a man approached me and asked if he could take my picture. I figured it was the same man from work, so I wasn't surprised and I kept walking down the busy pedestrian mall and said no. He lagged behind me and said, "Are you sure???" like maybe I was missing out on this great opportunity of having someone who I happen to know spends his free time doing drugs (the last time I hung out downtown on my break, he was fighting with a woman about his drug use) take a picture of just me. I told him I was sure I didn't want my picture taken by him on his camera.

Later, I told my coworker that whoever he talked to about the camera had approached me to take my picture. Then I described him. Turns out.... they were two different people. Is it normal for people to go around randomly taking pictures?? Is it normal for someone to be asked to have their picture taken by a creepy druggie?

Today, a band was set up on a street corner a couple of blocks from work. This is kind of a cool "new" for me. Last year, I didn't work downtown... actually, right about now, I was about to change positions at work to help start covering floods because, fortunately, I didn't work somewhere that was flooded out. Unfortunately, I also didn't work somewhere that was located somewhere super cool like I do now. So during today's break, I followed the sound of the funky music and decided to sip my soda and listen. Though sometimes, even if I'm by myself, I might feel like swaying a little or bobbing my head 'cause I am all about the dancing. But today I just wanted to prop up against a building and take in the chill music. So I found my spot, propped, and sipped the soda. A minute later, some woman danced her way right next to me, literally 6 inches away, and invaded my Chill Zone with her dance moves. Totally awkward. Totally ruined my zone. There is definitely a Personal Space Code and she definitely invaded mine with her dancing all by herself. Why didn't she join the others who were dancing by themselves in their spacious area? Normal?

Ruined.

I went to the Java House, grabbed a coffee and listened to the end of a singer's performance while I read emails on my iPod. Normal. For me.

Speaking of today, I also did that thing where you wake up and just chill because you know you set the alarm and it hasn't gone off, yet. I was happy that I had some extra time to really wake up and get some happy thoughts going in my head before my day really started. I didn't look at the clock, because I didn't want to know how early it was. I just wanted to wait for my iPod to tell me it was time to get ready. I laid around... and laid... and laid...... Finally I decided to peek at how very early it was. And I discovered that my iPod alarm had gone off a half hour before, but the volume was off! I was supposed to leave right at that exact minute to get to work right on time. So I threw clothes on, made the dog pee on a car, threw him in his kennel, parked in a parking garage instead of for free on a street a few blocks away, and got to work 15 minutes late, tripping up the steps and landing on a recent wound on my shin that ended up hurting for an hour. And dropping everything that I had to pick up on my way to the desk... twice.

Normal?

I don't think there is a normal. I think there is just life and you can choose to look at it and see the humor or whine about it.

Why on earth would a druggie want to take a picture of me? For all I know, he still took a picture of my butt, but I know it isn't posted on the internet 'cause he comes here to the library to use the computer. I've taken pictures of strangers, but my friends and I are discreet about it... we giggle and stand in front of the stranger and pretend we're taking pictures of ourselves. ;-)

I felt totally awkward standing next to the lady who decided to dance in my space, but I'm always thinking that people should bust moves in public, alone or not. I just need to be careful what I wish for, 'cause I don't want them to dance ON me.

I "slept" in, fell on my wound, dropped everything like the klutz that I am... I was a comedic movie this morning. But everything was all set for our patrons when they came in. No one would have known I was late if it wasn't such a good story for me to tell them... and if I didn't want some sympathy for the pain I endured for the first hour.

There is no normal for me to fall back into... just a life to move ahead with.