When did you last redefine "normal?"
Wednesday, January 7, 2009 at 1:25AM You may think you know people, have them pinned down so to speak, and suddenly discover there is more to them. In the process, you are raising your awareness and expanding your perception. You are realizing your notion of normal changes.
I think to a recent dinner I shared with friends of my parents I have known forever. It was an informal affair that involved post-holiday turkey leftovers, an array of mis-matched dishes and homemade treats. This heart-warming setting taught me the power of energy shifts based on how receptive we are. The forty-five year age gap between couples is part of normality.
Our topics for small talk vary widely. On this particular evening, I did not bring up my growing epitaph collection, poisonous creature- related stories linked to places I have visited, or the motorcycle adventures of Ewan McGregor who intrigues me as he documents a journey "All the Way Down" through unique regions of Africa. The energy in the air invited other kinds of exchanges. Ever notice how or why people introduce topics into dialogue? They feel comfortable with you, with themselves with the topic. It is all about self-acceptance.
Now, the host of the evening was a former priest. He admits he gained valuable life experience in his religious roles before resigning and redefining his idea of normal. He married in his fifties, twice became a father in his sixties, then a widower before falling in love and remarrying. He shared how opening his mind led him to expand his perspective in unexpected ways. His life prepared him to attune. His beliefs shifted to focus on things he had not considered, let-alone seen before.
Without faltering, he calmly shared an experience that he had not confided with me before. He was asked to be a poll bearer (casket handler) at the funeral of a former religious colleague. He felt grateful to be part of the service, as he had known this man well. While my friend waited in an alcove near other poll bearers, he watched a filmy version of the deceased enter through the doorway. This spirit communicated with my friend using telepathy. He asked, why the gathering? He was initially unaware his body was dead. My friend used his mind to shift this spirit's attention to the body in the open casket. The spirit seemed to register. He looked around, smiled and suddenly vanished. My friend calmly continued with his funeral responsibilities. For him, this was normal. To me, it was too.
By this point in the evening, it seemed perfectly natural for me to share my impressions of Ram Bahadur. He recently emerged from a meditation he underwent from May 2005 to December 2008 inside the trunk of a tree near Katmandu. He had lowered his metabolic rate, breathing and mastered his other bodily functions. Imagine, he had been sitting still during much of his meditation. I invite you to read this and review your sense of "normal"; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ram_Bahadur_Bomjon
No doubt you have your own understanding of the term, "normal." It is always based on experience. It can only ever be based on experience. That is how you permit your current life to unfold. What happens next is also up to you. And, so?
Reader Comments (14)
Thanks for letting us in on your enlightening conversation. There is an art in the Soul who can speak to anyone about anything as you seem to do. Listening to other perspectives really can allow us to learn more about ourselves.
I love Ewan Mc Gregor's performance in Moulin Rouge and Trainspotting.
I chuckle when you describe my way of feeling comfortable discussing virtually anything. Sometime, I will just have to share with you some weird and wonderful tales of medical procedures discussed over dinner; picture it: a pathologst (coroner), gastroenterologist (colonoscopy specialist), and a variety of others discussing procedures with a quasi-vegetarian. Definitely not worth missing...
I read your posts daily from my email subscription, and thought it was about time I stopped by "in person" to thank you for the wonderful, rich wisdom and experience you share here with us. I especially love the personal stories you combine with life lessons and opportunities for opening to new ways of seeing. I absolutely love the ease described when your former priest friend met his colleagues spirit. How wonderful normal can be!
blessings,
Karin
Thanks for sharing this experience. "The energy in the air invited other kinds of exchanges." This is the truth of bringing conversation that brings a group together and share camaraderie rather than upstaging our ego.
You tell an entertaining story while giving nuggets of wisdom!
I LOVE re-defining normal. Your story about the priest reminds me a little of my own journey I was as "normal" as one can get in society until I started opening myself up to new opportunities and new possibilities and have to tell you I discovered a whole new world and a whole new me!
It was like I saw life from a larger perspective than I ever thought possible and the joy was amazing!
So what is normal ? According to me now, it is anything we want it to be!
I think the only sad part is how much so many of us confine ourselves to someone else's "normal" and live out lives that are barely scraping by what it means to be alive. But hey to each his own, until they decide otherwise!