find normal

Find normal
where you normally look for it. Normally,
it's there. If you don't know where that is,
say if you've never looked before

for normal,
Then go someplace else. Someplace
you've never been, someplace
where you have no idea
what you'll find. Pay

close attention, while you're there.
Go back many times, and see
what's there. Get used to it. Grow
accustomed. What you see
when you go there, what you grow
accustomed to?

That's normal. That's how it normally
works. You can go there to find it,

and normally, that's just what
you find. It's a matter of you
establishing for yourself,
through observations,

some norms. These are valid
to the degree that they obtain,
and that you can obtain them.
Validate through further observation
repeated at all different times until
you can say: "Yes. These norms are quite
established, with an assortment of familiar
deviations within easy-to-accept ranges. I am
comfortable with this," without stumbling
or blushing. Then you will know

Everywhere you go, of course, a
differently-dressed maniac will startle you
lunging out of nowhere scream-singing
unfamiliar nonsense, brandishing
a festive folk weapon - this, or
the local equivalent, is liable
to happen everywhere; it can't be

predicted, no one's saying that

normal

is the only thing that happens,
in a given place! Of course not.
Vanity. But

the point is, by means of this process,
you do find out what normal is. You can separate out
that other shit. The Human Constant.

The great thing is, this process works

everywhere on earth, so long
as you're willing to go there first
many times to find it. Just one visit -

you don't know! Maybe none of what you saw
was normal! And you will be the fool,
describing it authentically to your
worldlier friend who knows. Maybe
they all turned out to put on a show
that day - and you knew no better? It
was Wear Folkic Colored Silk Turkic
Burka-Looking Thingsday

- something they wouldn't be caught dead in,
normally! But worn to exagerrate the importance
of that age-old day when not-quite-enough (you'll fume
- having been duped!) of their ancestors
were unexpectedly caught dead in them.
They could've been filming a movie of it, even
- or rehearsing one. And that, my friend

is not normal. You need to go

back again, many times,

until you know the difference. Just so you know,
though,

normally? People don't.