Is there any such thing as "normal"?

And I think it's gonna be all right,
yeah, the worst is over now
the morning sun is shining
like a red rubber ball

Remember that old song by The Cyrcle? You'd probably have to be at least my age or older, but it hit #2 on the Billboard chart in 1966 (see, even the song's older than I am - and for you diehard oldies fans, here's a really interesting article about the group). I love Red Rubber Ball for lots of reasons, but the one that's striking me today is the whole "the worst is over" thing.

The Tall One and I spent the past two days at the freshmen orientation program at her university of choice - hereinafter referred to as College. It boggles the mind - at least my mind - that I have a child old enough to be starting College in a few weeks. College. Whew. I'd like to say I remember college like it was yesterday - that's where the WGH and I met, of course - but the truth is I remember only bits and pieces of things from my 3-1/2 years on campus (no, I didn't quit; I graduated early). In truth, those years, for the most part, are a blur for me, as is a lot of my past now. I do remember obscure things sometimes, like my roommate throwing a pen at the mirror when I told her I was moving out (she could be a bit overdramatic at times). And being sick as a dog after one long, rainy football weekend and having to take not one but two killer exams on Monday morning (flunked both of them, by the way, so now you know with a major degree of certainty that I am not perfect). There are major things I remember - most of which have to do with meeting the WGH (awww, sniff - yeah, mushy-blech). Those years were tough, as I'm sure those of you who've been there, done that will remember - but they were also rewarding. My prayer is that my daughter will have the same positive experience at College that her father and I had.

I've come to the realization that life will never be "normal" as I've come to know it again. Does this mean I'm growing up? Heh. Yeah, right. No sir, not me. Nope. Ain't gonna do it. I refuse.

That having been said, I've also come to the realization that "normal" is a relative term. What was normal for me four years ago, before I quit my full-time job, is different from what's normal for me now, which is different from what normal will be in six weeks when the kids are back in school and The Tall One is off at College. Normal for me has to revolve now around something that will ground me in place as firmly as I can get, with all of my offspring running hither, thither and yon ... yeah, you've been paying attention, haven't you?

The book is coming along so swimmingly that I hesitate to mention it for fear of putting some sort of jinx on the whole process. There's a lot more going on than I originally planned, but for the most part I've stuck pretty well to that synopsis that JT went crazy over a few months back. February, to be exact - I'm looking at her email now, which I tacked to the board above my desk as a constant reminder of what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. Five months, and it's almost ready for her to tackle. Progress.

There are other things on my to-do list, most of which I am devoting myself to as wholeheartedly as I possibly can so as to get them checked off as quickly as possible, but for me, it's a never-ending Cyrcle (aaahh, there's the tie-in - and I apologize for the pun). The worst may be over for the moment, but my life wouldn't be "normal" if there weren't some sort of chaos in it.

On an up note, my health issues are finally starting to work themselves out - I'm actually starting to feel better than I have in quite some time - so now maybe without that to worry over I can start concentrating more on the things that really matter.

Read a book - there are more on the shelf at the right now, so check them out. Feel free to wander and peruse all the amenities we have here in the Lunch Room, especially if it's been a while since you've been here. And if you've read a really great book recently, please pop into the Comments section and let us know what it was. Sharing is good for you. ;)

=) JB