We're All A Little Crazy (I Think)

Have you ever been walking with someone and their attention to you seems a bit distracted and then within a moment that person directs your attention to another person and says, “That guy is really crazy.”? Almost instantly, you start to size the person up to determine what is it about that individual that makes him/ her crazy? Does he walk the neighborhood in his pajamas? Does she wear her wigs backward? Does he talk to his dogs? And what is crazy anyway and who sets the standard for who and what is actually crazy? Basically, in my opinion, I have determined that we are all just a little crazy. I’ll be the first to say that I am. And guess what? That’s a good thing. That means that I am in a category that separates me for a lot of other people. Let me give you few examples; I will only eat mustard on a corn dog, but never, ever on a burger. I cannot get in bed without taking a shower. And I will, under any circumstances drive in the rain with the radio on. I don’t know why, but I will never do it. Those examples are actually just character traits about me and says very little about my mental stability. However, there are a great deal of people that live their lives as though their daily routine, their lifestyle and their train of thought is the norm and that each and every person on earth should be as they are. I have been guilty of this at one point or another in my life, but as I grew into manhood, I began to accept people more, people that were of various ethnic backgrounds, religions and people that didn’t like mustard on their corn dogs. I recall years ago, having a big argument with a friend of mine over a comment that I had made in reference to her daughters bedroom. In my opinion, the comment was fanciful and made without any attempt to slight her attempt to make a welcome living space out of her daughters bedroom. I used the very common phrase, ‘I bet she doesn’t knows how to act”, we’ve all heard that. She turned to me and quickly took offense and responded while looking me right in the eyes, “Yeah, she knows how to act.” I tried to assure her that my statement was made out of an attempt to drive conversation and not meant to be taken negatively, but within minutes an argument ensued. After a while, I felt it best that I just stopped talking and decided to go home. Well, for weeks, we didn’t visit each other and didn’t even speak. It took about a month for her to call me and apologize for the whole situation and of course I accepted the apology but didn’t assume any responsibility for the argument, because she has taken my words out of context. But one thing she said made a world of difference to me, she said, “ You know I’m crazy…we’re all a little crazy sometimes”. I pondered that phrase and how it related to our relationship and realized how true it was. How many times we go through life missing out on good experiences and good people out of fear that we may be socially ridiculed for our interaction with them, that we miss out some of the best times ever. I once heard singer Al Green say in an interview, “That you can’t take life too seriously.” Fewer words have held more weigh with me in determining how I live my life from day to day. You see, in each day of our lives, there are factors and conditions we have absolutely no control over. We deal with these things on life’s terms, not our own, but how we deal with them determines whether we draw from them or they draw us, either up or down. But you see the things we can control are the things that should be taken so lightly, that they should in only such a small way influence our feelings from day to day. Most of us have that attitude anyway, but keep in mind that if so, that your point of view differs from person to person that you encounter from day to day. What makes you right? What makes the person that encounters you right? Your train of thought, his/ her train of thought, which makes us all a little bit crazy. Right? In closing, I may would want to reiterate to you that being a little crazy is very different from mental instability so don’t think that I am saying find someone that is truly CRAZY and allow that person to lead by example. Some people should be feared and given space (LOL). That we as people need to make a more conscious effort of acceptance for those who are not just like us in the ways we think, speak, act and live but most importantly never ever allow our differences to come between us and those we consider friends.

WYLD STYLZ