Normal By D.I. Jolly
You have to smile, that’s what they always told me. Smile and tell everyone that you’re fine. Speak about positive achievement but don’t brag, and never complain.
‘be nice’
That’s was my family motto, mantra. You have to be nice. Other people can complain and you will listen and be concerned, but don’t get involved.
At 18 I will choose my career path, at 21 I will propose to the ‘love of my life’ and be expecting our first child by 23. We’ll buy an apartment at 25. When I’m 35 my wife and our three children will move out of the city in our new house and I’ll start commuting to work. On Friday nights I’ll meet my ‘friends’ for a few beers and we’ll discuss the week’s sports results and debate politics. Every fourth Sunday we’ll host a barbecue for those friends.
Two of the children will go to university and one will travel to Europe to ‘find themselves’. My wife will battle breast cancer and win. I will act concert about the mastectomy even though we haven’t had sex in 20 years. I’ll retire at 65 and take up gardening and finally make plans to visit the cities I’ve always spoken about on those Friday nights.
It’s the perfect life.
The normal life.
It’s the life everyone wants.
So
why
can’t
I
stop
screaming?