One thing I’m starting to figure out is that there isn’t such a thing as normal. I’m realizing everybody has some sort of crazy going on, and we’re all just one link of crazy away from each other. 10 degrees of craziness if you will.
It’s no secret here that I’ve been blessed with the genes that bring about anxiety and at times, depression. From what I know, and have seen, it runs on both sides of my family. Some took and take meds, some don’t. Either way, knowing that I’m not alone in it….somehow makes me feel better.
And then I look outside my family….my friends, their friends, other bloggers, people I know and people they know….and I hear their stories. I pay attention to their lives. I listen. I watch. And I feel a little bit more settled.
It’s not that I feel better than. Are you kidding me? Have you read this blog?!?
It’s that I feel comfort. Comfort in the surrounding crazy.
You may have a hint of OCD or ADD. You might count calories too often or stand on the scale more than weekly. You may know the horrors of anxiety or the darkness of depression. You may have boundary issues or enabling habits. You might enjoy the drinky drink or the smokey smoke a little too much. You may be obsessed with greener pastures or stuck in the past. You might eat to feed the pain, or throw it up to lessen the burden. Perhaps you spend more than you have, or are tighter than need be. Maybe you have control issues, or low self esteem.
The list goes on and on. And if I were to keep going, I’m sure eventually I would hit on something you feel familiar with.
We’re all broken. We’re all crazy. Not a one of us has it down, not a one of us is better than.
Which is exactly why I love those who are open books. Those that share the pain, the humor, and the truth by being real.
While I spent a better part of my life wishing I was more “normal,” I’m starting to see that would only mean I didn’t really exist. I’m here, I’m crazy, and I’m just that much closer to being like you.
So tell me, what’s your crazy?
© 2009 “Le Musings of Moi”
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Oh Lord. The day I finally admitted that my crazy was getting the better of me and I made an appointment for an annointment with my doc was one of the turning points in my life. Chronic anxiety now gone, and depression stays away most of the time thanks to happy pills and bourbon ; ). It was such a relief for me to be able to admit that I needed some help. I probably blab about it too much now, but I consider my crazy just as much an illness as the next persons ass haemorroids!
About 9 years ago I battled an eating disorder. I still to this day obsess about weight, body image, and especiall working out and food. People who read my blog say it’s great that I work out so often at 430 in the morning. But quite honestly, that’s just me being obsessive. I’d love to be happy with the way I look and not worry so much about it and actually sleep in like a normal person. 🙁
My crazy? I would be here all day.
I am too cheap and hate it.
I am a bit OCDish.
I worry about everything.
I have anxiety.
See? I could go on and on!
Oh gosh- What is NOT my crazy?! I am more than 1/2 of those things you listed up there. I really work on just appreciating the moment we are in and enjoying it instead of constantly trying to figure out how things could be better.
I can relate to a lot of your “brand of crazy”. I have inherited ‘issues’ from both sides of the family and also have a dad who is no longer with us because of said issues. Sometimes it is overwhelming knowing that I am repeating the cycle instead of overcoming it.
Meh, on a lighter note, I also weigh myself 3 times a day, and am way too insecure and judgemental. I think it’s California- itis.
If everyone is a little bit crazy, then doesn’t that mean that being a little bit crazy is normal? I prefer to think so.
Great post Summer! Yes,I too am crazy. Let’s see…
Overeating, anxiety, depression etc, etc. I am Very thankful for prozac:) Thanks for letting me know I’m not alone…
I think Melinda is right…crazy is the new normal!
Here’s to crazies everywhere!
I hate the word normal because no one is normal. They are just who they are.
I have dealt with depression all my life. Sometimes I have to take meds and sometimes I don’t. Right now is a period where I do have to take them.
I love how honest and open you are Summer.
Did someone say greener pastures? That’s me. I’m the ‘what if’ girl even though I try so hard not to be.
If we all weren’t a little bit crazy, we wouldn’t be human…at least in my mind. My crazy…money of course. I never have enough of it…which then leads me to my job. It is always on my mind. I hate it. I need a new one. But what if the new one sucks more than this one. What if it doesn’t. Sigh. Growing up, its hard to do sometimes
The more I know about other peoples’ lives the better I feel too. I think it is just distracting me from self-obsessing. Divert my focus from MY life for a bit. That seems to be very healthy.
My crazy is my ex and my husband’s ex. Truly. No one needs any more crazy than that. I’m hoping that in about 7 years I will never have to deal with them again and then maybe I won’t have crazy in my life anymore. Yep, in 2016 I’m going to throw a party … in Hawaii. You’re invited, of course.
Yup, I am a little nuts and also crazy. You are right we are all this why. I think that we have to be, how else would be be able to survive motherhood
This post is so true and SO reassuring, I cannot even tell you.
Love this post. I am all kinds of crazy just at different times (thankfully, otherwise I would be committed). Depression, the drinky drink, anxiety, greener pastures, all kinds of crazy have impacted and will impact my life. But I agree…the blogs I read make me feel so normal. Because everyone has crazy, many different kinds, at different times. I’m just glad we don’t all have it on the same day.
What’s my crazy….like today? Or like this moment? I think mine go on and on and on….some I am crazy for a moment, others haunt me for a lifetime…ok, I’ll throw a really strange one out there for you…make it short and sweet…eating disorder from teen years – result: I still don’t let anything touch my lips before I eat it. I’m not kidding…I put it on the fork, in my mouth, slide it off with tongue, no touch of the lips…if it doesn’t touch my lips I didn’t eat it…at least that is what my crazy brain tells me!
Don’t worry you aren’t alone! =)
Lets see…
I overeat
I used to spend too much and am now paying the consequences of it
I can be too bossy
I take on other peoples problems as if they are my own
I feel the need to research anything and everything
Yikes. I question whether or not I should write this, but here goes.
This post broke my heart. And I am totally not judging you or any of your readers/commenters, but it makes me so sad that women today have such huge identity issues that they all think that they are crazy.
I am FAR from perfect and have so many flaws and tendancies toward crazy behavior, but I have been reassured in so many ways that Christ has made me complete and a woman of character and beautiful.
There are moments in the day that I forget the Truth and struggle with ocd and image issues and anxiety, but then I remember the blessed assurance that I was created for a reason and a purpose, with a certain body that was created just for my husband’s desires.
I so wish I could wash away the lies that have been passed down from each generation and the media and our friends and tell every one of you that there is HOPE!
This is written with the hope that no one felt judged and each felt encouraged to find a solution other than prozac, booze, scales, food and fasting.
Well, becoming a step-mum has made me proper crazy!! But with the help of CBT therapy, some prescription “pharmaceutical assistance” I seem to be hanging on their!
Thanks for stopping by my blog. Oh and thanks for the tip-off – I’ve been trying to follow your blog and couldn’t figure out where your Google widge was!! Am now a follower!
LBM xxxx
yay! summer! you hit it right on the head. we’re all dealing with our own issues. i mean, we’re all basically little kids in grownup clothes trying to make it in a very hard and crazy world. we do what we can. and openning up and sharing about those experiences is what keeps me sane. THANK YOU FOR SHARING GIRL!!!
Amen, we’re ALL in need of a Savior. I’m trying to put the fun in dysfunctional, lol.
Normal is only a setting on the dryer.
Great post!I am ADD-OCD-ASAP most of the time. I am “The Uncool Mom”!
Thanks for stopping by my blog 🙂
Frickin’ awesome post, woman. So true! We do spend so much of our time trying to be “normal” don’t we, but no one has it together.
Some of my crazies – anxiety, occasional depression, relying on the sweets to make me feel better, and all the labels have to face out on my food in the pantry – is that OCD? The list goes on, but that’s a start.
Oh Summer, you always manage to bring out the depths of my mind and soul. Yikes! That was deep!
My crazy has changed as I have changed. It used to be depression. It’s always been obsession, although I’m learning to just let it go. Now it’s the freaky OCD…
I love your perspective that without crazy, we wouldn’t exist. It’s in the imperfections that we find true beauty.
too many crazy tics to mention. I take “happy pills” but they do make me nap!
Thanks for providing a safe place for the crazies to hook up 😉
You just listed about 10 kinds of my crazy!