The main problem with us as beings is that we judge too much. We focus on all of the negatie things about people around us instead of focusing on the positive. We have this..illusion that we are superior to others. We have standards in society, and if you don’t meet those standards , you’re not considered normal. It’s actally weird being called normal, because everyone is so different. I hate it because everyone expects you to be who you’re labeled as. A weirdo, a freak, A nobody.Well here’s the truth. Labels don’t define who you are. You gotta be strong, yet delicate, sweet but stern.If you let people get to you, it’s like throwing yourself in the trash.

Throughout the years I have gone throughmany struggles in life. As a kid, I was labeled as “the fat, white girl who sucked up to teachers”. But that’s not who I was. You don’t know someone until you really know them. You can’t judge someone if you never talked to them. They might have weird habits, but there’s always a reason behind them. I know wherever I go, I see people stare. It’s like they want to know something, but they are too scared to ask questions.

But it’s the fact that they don’t ask questions. Well, not until you already have a reputation. They assume things about you. Assuming is the same thing as spreading false information. Rumors. They don’t realize how wrong they’ve been until it’s already too late. You know what I find funny? People can gossip all they want about anything and everything, but 80% of these people won’t come up to you and talk to you. 

We can gossip all we want and not ask questions, but look around. Everyone look around. Why don’t we do that? Why don’t we help those who really need help? Why do we look down on them instead? Why can’t we truly see what’s going on around us? Don’t you see, it’s the fact that everyone is so different that throws society off. It throws us off. Society set certain standards that we have to meet in order to be normal. Normal? What is normal? Normality is just a word someone made up to convince others they are better than them. If you look up the noun normality, it means “the condition of being normal; the state of being typical, usual, expected”. Typical. Expected. The same. The standards. It’s what we’re suppoised to live up to. Why? Because society says so. What are they supposed to do if you can’t live up to their standards? Edit them? No. Why? Because in their eyes, you, me everyone, we’re not perfect, so therefore, we can’t be normal. In my eyes, there is no such thing as normality. And if there is, it’s so overrated. 

Look at it this way. Look in the mirror, and look at yourself. Really look at yourself. Ask yourself that question that everyone wants to know. “Who are you?” Who are you when you wake up in the morning? Who are you when you are surrounded by your family? Your friends? Who are you at school or work? Who re you when no one is looking? Is that the you that you really are? Or is that the you that you want society to see to accept you as normal?

I’ve been asked that question for years. Well, here’s the answer. I am 17 years old, and I’m not your typical teenager. I don’t hang out with friends outside of schools; I don’t get invited to parties that I know I’ll never attend; While I may not have had some people to call Mom and Dad for years of my life, I had my brothers; They’ve been there every step of the way. I’m a writer. I’m a struggling songwriter, and author. But I have faith, that everything will look up. It’s weird because everytime I pick up a writing untensil, especially with pens, and as soon as it meets the paper, It’s like the pen and paper are trying to communicate by saying, “Ashley this is who you are”. I have been the kind to please people, but that’s not me. There have been things people have said about me as a writer. Some praise, others bringing me down. But I don’t care what they think. I’m happy. As funny as it may sound, I haven’t been known to have a voice. It seems that when I talk, no one lsitens. But when I write, my voice shines through. I write to show the world what I am capable of. I write to spread inspiration. I give advice to people. Sixty percent of the time I have no idea what I’m saying, but for some reason, people understand. And it helps them. They remember my words, and then they apply it to their daily life. I mean I dont really know what they are going through, because I’m not living their lives, but I can still offer a piece of me. One that I know they’ll use. I want to change people’s lives. If I can just make one person’s day better one day at a time, show kindness, offer a smile, be a friend, then maybe I can reach my goal. I’m a weird girl. I’d rather watchin rom/coms on Hallmark with my Aunt or K-dramas on Netflix with my cousin than actually hang with friends. All I want is my family to be proud of me, and I don’t ever want to see them hurting. So I have to be there so it doesn’t wither away. And not just that. I have so much support around me, that all the bad things that go on in life, the good things overwelm the bad and they disappear. That’s the power of friendship, and love, and true selfness in life. And my friends, and family show it to me. Things might not go so good at certain times, but I’ll get over it. It’s not the end of the world. And you know what? That’s just who I am.

Right now, society is my biggest pet peave. Society doesn’t know when enough is enough. It’s a game to them. Nothing but a game. They can’t help themseles. But what do we do about it? Nothing. Because society is in control. We could try to do something, but who’d believe us anyway? Nothing is going to chaange, it’s just the way society is. Are you even listening? It’s society. Who is society? We are. We all are. We as a nation, make up every single member in society. We do this to ourselves. To each other. It’s all about competition. The best of the best, right? I mean Charles Darwin proved it in the theory of evolution. A matter of survival. The best of thebest. Animals and insects don’t have a choice. It’s instinct. But guess what? We have the choice to better ourselves, or screw it all the way. We have the chance to rewrite our history, to fix past mistakes. I mean we are the future, aren’t we?

I mean look around you. If everyone was “Normal” they’d all be the same. After awhile it’d be tiring. Just imagine your whole town, city, state, turning into a whole bunch of robots, all exactly the same, because they fit the standards that we made in society. Why society? Why normal? WHy not you? I believe you have the power to do whatever you set your mind on. Just kkeep striving, not to be the best, but to be you. Keep being who you want to be in life. Don’t let someone live your life for you. Others can try to push you down, but you have the option, you always have the option, to either stand your ground or let them push you down. Like many things in life, you always have a choice. Defy the standards. Be someone no one knows about. Be someone no one can take control of. Don’t be normal, be you. And that, all in all, is the truth about normality. If you don’t believe me, look around. Ash questions. Communicate. Reflect on yourself. Be the you that you want to see in society. Join me, I’ll be waiting. Because I’m not normal, I’m just plain old, amazing me.